Did MS Dhoni throw away the England game to hurt Pakistan?
Neither circumstantial evidence nor his own deteriorating stats seem to back up the allegation facing the ageing Indian star.
What happened is in front of everyone to see.
The situation was this: India were 250-4 at 42.2 overs, needing 88 more runs off 46 balls.
Up ahead was the acceleration phase, thanks to the many wickets in hand, including those of wily veteran MS Dhoni and young buck Hardik Pandya. Up next was Kedar Jhadav, who averages 43 in ODIs at a strike rate of more than 100. He’s hard-hitting stats-wise.
But instead, the Men in Blue, for some strange reason, took 41 balls for their next 50 runs.
Here’s an alternative look: Dhoni and Jadhav together scored just 39 runs off the final five overs. That’s 39 runs off 30 balls when the team needed 71.
For context, even Pakistani tail made up of Imad Wasim and Wahab Riaz had managed 50 runs in their last five overs against a hostile Afghan bowling attack at the weekend.
Surely, the situation facing India was more difficult but they had the better batsmen and could have at least gone closer to the target. But instead of going down trying they surrendered meekly, falling 31 runs short while keeping half their wickets intact.
Dhoni obviously became the culprit-in-chief because he has dealt with such situations a million times before and knows by heart how to come out on top when in holes this deep. So even though his strike rate still was up at 135, while Jadhav’s was 92, he bore the brunt of criticism.
His current teammates won’t point fingers — at least publicly they won’t — because who does that during a cup competition (united front and all). But former cricketers and ex teammates have been less considerate.
The most hate he is receiving is from this side of the border, and for obvious reasons. The sentiment is that Dhoni deliberately threw away the match so as to put Pakistan out of the competition.
As convenient as that narrative sounds, it absolutely makes no sense. Dhoni, throughout his career, has been a model cricketer and isn’t known to play against the spirit of the game.
One could argue that that’s a weak defence when the match-specific statistical evidence quoted above is so incriminating.
Consider this: why would India want to keep alive England against whom they have lost all of their last three ODIs. Or why won’t they want to keep alive Pakistan against whom they have won all of their last three ODIs.
India had nothing to gain but everything to lose from doing the hosts a favour, which should dismiss the theory that they intentionally threw away the game. Were they lethargic? Probably, but suspecting anything more than that is just wishful thinking.
Then comes the case of Dhoni himself. The man nicknamed Mahi is 37, and smack in the middle of Father Time territory. His stats give away the biggest indication.
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Dhoni’s strike rate for the career has been a healthy 87 but it has dropped to 78 in the last 12 months. His average of 50 is down to 42 as well. Knock knock. Who’s there? Father Time!
Even in the game against Afghanistan, the man who has probably aged the most in the past few years, scored 28 runs off 52 balls. Was he trying to do anyone any favours then?
Dhoni’s grey hair have finally caught up with his game, and he can no longer be the finisher he used to. Call him damaged goods but a cheater ... that’s a massive stretch.
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