MS Dhoni applauds collective bowling effort in the first T20I
On January 26, India defeated Australia by a staggering 37 runs in the first T20 at the Adelaide Oval. India’s limited-overs vice-captain Virat Kohli has been on a roll since his arrival in Australia. After his heroics in the ODI series, the stylish right-hand batsman carried his good form into the T20s with a brilliant 55-ball 90 which was the foundation stone for India’s victory.
After the win, captain MS Dhoni was ecstatic and was praising Kohli. He said, “He's batting really well. When he is taking the risk of playing a big shot, he calculates it well.”
"Also, he is someone who looks to score in front of the wicket. Of course, he's a good cutter and puller of the ball also, but at the same time, he looks to hit in front and that gives you more chances of success. He is someone who reads the game also very well. Right from the very start, whenever we had any kind of interaction, he was always looking to improve himself as a cricketer. If you have that kind of curiosity, it helps you become a better cricketer," he added.
Bumrah and Nehra executed their plans really well: Dhoni
Indian bowling performance has been very disappointing throughout the ODI series, as a result, they lost the series 4-1. But on Tuesday, Dhoni was also pleased with the manner in which the bowlers got India back into the game.
It was the spinning duo of Ravinder Jadeja and Ravichandran Ashwin who picked up four important wickets and changed the game. But Dhoni had some special word for the fast-bowlers.
He said, "I don't think the fast bowlers bowled badly. I felt Bumrah and Ashish Nehra executed their plans really well. That's one period where we have struggled consistently, so it's good to see them bowl well. But of course, the bulk of the wickets were taken by the spinners in the middle overs.”
Youngster Jasprit Bumrah finished the match with figures of 3/23 in 3.3 overs with an impressive economy rate of just over 6.5. Another youngster Hardik Pandya also picked up two wickets. Veteran Ashish Nehra also impressed with his performance. But it was the spinners who changed the course of the match in the middle overs.
Taking wickets in the middle overs wins you the match in this format: Dhoni
The Indian skipper said, "If you keep taking wickets in the middle overs, it becomes easier to win the game so their role was very crucial. We have seen that spinners can be quite successful in this format, especially after the sixth over once the field opens up. And over here with the bigger outfields, they can exploit that."