ICC World Cup 2019 | We’re very happy with the intent MS Dhoni is batting with, claims Sanjay Bangar
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Sanjay Bangar was quick to come to MS Dhoni’s defence after the latter was severely criticized for failing to earn India a win in their last game and was accused of showing a lack of desire. Bangar cited examples to explain his importance, stating that Dhoni has been performing his role perfectly.
An often celebrated name in the Indian cricketing fraternity, MS Dhoni, has off late been under fire from a lot of Indian fans who have questioned his ability to keep playing at the top level. On Sunday, things went from bad to worse as India fell 31 runs short while chasing a steep target of 338.
Needing 71 runs off the last five overs, the burden fell on Dhoni’s shoulder to finish off the match having done so numerous times in the past. However, he could only end up contributing 42 runs off 31 balls, hitting just one six in the process. From past cricketers to fans, everyone has voiced their opinion stating Dhoni did not show enough intent, However, batting coach Sanjay Bangar begs to differ.
"I don't think so [there was a lack of intent], because if you look at the way they bowled towards the end, they used the dimensions really well and created difficult angles for our batters to hit,” Bangar said, as reported by Cricbuzz.
"In those large boundaries and with the type of balls they were bowling - slower bouncers, a lot of into the wicket deliveries, slower balls, I just felt maybe last one or two overs, the difference between runs required and balls left were a bit too much. Had we tried bigger shots earlier, we might have ended a few runs short. It also helps the Net Run Rate a bit with the extra runs," he added.
So far, Dhoni has 188 runs in the current edition of the mega event at an average of 47 and a decent strike rate of 91.26. He is often hailed as one of India’s greatest finishers of all time and has had a glorious career with an average of 50-plus in nearly 350 matches.
"Except for one odd innings, he has done the role always. Five out of seven games he has done the job for the team. If you see the earlier games, against South Africa he stitched together a partnership of 70 with Rohit. After that what was required of him against Australia he did that,” Bangar explained.
Dhoni already has a half-century to his name in the current tournament that came at a time when the team was struggling against the Windies. A gutsy 56 not out had helped the Men in Blue reach a total of 268 which they had defended successfully.
"In Manchester on a difficult track (against WI) he got a vital 56 for us. Here also he was striking the ball really well. I'm surprised that this question continues to come up every now and then. He's doing the job for the team and overall we're very happy with the intent he's batting with," Bangar signed off on the matter.
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