Unwavering self-confidence is MS Dhoni's strength, reveals Ashish Nehra
Ashish Nehra has recalled one of the greatest innings MS Dhoni ever played, 16 years ago in Vizag, and applauded the former Indian skipper for his unwavering self-confidence. Nehra further added that Dhoni's discipline, passion, composure and confidence made him a different wicket-keeper.
While the world was quick to sign him off after four consecutive failures, MS Dhoni played one hell of an innings against Pakistan in Vizag to save his career and possibly launched it to the bigger strata of the cricketing career. His 148-run knock saved his place in the side while the selectors were baying for Dinesh Karthik and boy, has he looked back ever since! Nehra recalled the knock played 16 years ago, applauding the former Indian skipper for his unwavering self-confidence.
"Coming back to the Visakhapatnam knock, Dhoni's innings is of great significance for Indian cricket. That innings got the team to believe that we too could have a prolific wicketkeeper-batsman. Dhoni didn't have a great time in his initial matches. But when a confident man like him gets an opportunity and cashes in, then it's hard to pull him back. Unwavering self-confidence is Dhoni's strength," Nehra told the Times of India.
"That innings was like he had tasted blood and he yearned for more. He hardly ever batted at No. 3 after that innings but he had made a statement that day. We lost all the remaining four matches in that series but we discovered Dhoni."
With an unorthodox keeping style, Dhoni couldn't live up to the expectations in the first couple of series but he improvised on the go, so as to emerge as a player of impregnable audacity. Nehra called Dhoni's style was always on the up, but he was never the best wicket-keeper around, rather made himself a wholesome package.
"Dhoni wasn't the best wicketkeeper around when he first came in. All those who played before him were really good. He was certainly not a Kiran More or a Nayan Mongia. So it's not that he was miles ahead of his contemporaries as a wicketkeeper, but he made for a better package. His discipline, passion, composure and confidence made him different," Nehra added.
