Mahendra Singh Dhoni and Bhuvneshwar Kumar produced a calm and composed performance as they shared a crucial century-run stand to help India clinch a nerve-wracking three-wicket win over Sri Lanka by Duckworth-Lewis method in the second ODI of the five-match series at the Pallekele International Cricket Stadium on Thursday night.
The former skipper scored a patient unbeaten 45 off 68 balls but more importantly mentored Bhuvneshwar Kumar (53 not out) as they added 100 runs for the eighth wicket to reach the revised victory target of 231 in 44.2 overs.
This is seen as Dhoni’s comeback performance who had been out of form for some time now. Many former cricketers and cricket experts had also questioned his selection over Wriddhiman Saha.
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But on Thursday night, former players and politicians, including Sanjay Manjrekar, Virender Sehwag, Mohammad Kaif and Subramanian Swamy, took to Twitter to praise “Mr Finisher” for his match-winning performance.
Dhoni, whose finishing skills have been put to test in recent times showed that experience worth its weight in gold as he tapped around for singles and doubles. The target being a modest one and the run-rate being under check also helped his cause as his innings only had one boundary.
The former skipper soaked in the pressure initially as Bhuvneshwar played a lot of dot balls. However once the partnership crossed 40, the UP cricketer showed that he is more than a capable batsmen.
