Shy MS Dhoni started opening up after 2008 Sydney Test, reveals Harbhajan Singh

Hailing from the mining state of Jharkhand, becoming the first cricketer from the newly-formed state to have played international cricket, Dhoni was quite a laidback cricketer, unlike his batting display, which touched the two spectrums of conservatism and unorthodoxy. Staying true to his trait, he took time to open up and Harbhajan Singh revealed that it stayed with Dhoni for more than three years. 

"We have played a lot of cricket together, we have toured a lot of countries together West Indies, Sri Lanka, New Zealand, Australia. MS was a very shy guy. He never used to come to our rooms. He used to be on his own. We used to hang out with Sachin , Zaheer , Ashish and Yuvi [Yuvraj Singh]. MS was a very quiet guy," Harbhajan said while speaking to Rupha Ramani during an Instagram live session for Chennai Super Kings.

However, the Sydney Test of 2008, which became controversial thanks to some wrong decisions by umpire Steve Bucknor and the Monkeygate scandal, involving Harbhajan Singh and Andrew Symonds, brought the team closer. Led by an effervescent Anil Kumble, the team fought back the racist allegations, with the skipper delivering an epic dialogue of “only one team was playing within the spirit of the game”. The off-spinner, who plays with Dhoni at the Chennai Super Kings, revealed that the Test brought everyone together, after which the wicket-keeper started to open up a bit.

"And then the 2008 series happened. The Test match (Sydney) got everyone together in the Indian team. Those moments made us believe 'we are all together in this'. From that time onwards, he started opening up a bit and started sitting with us. Of course, he was a young guy. But even after he became captain, he was quite shy. When he used to give suggestions, he came to us. He still remains the same.

"He will not tell you what field to set and what not to. Not just me, but everyone. A guy like Deepak Chahar, he gave everything the freedom he needed to explore himself. That's something everyone should learn from him giving you the space you need to a bowler or a batsman is a very, very important," Harbhajan said.