MS Dhoni to be rested for the final 2 games of the ongoing India-Australia series
What's the story?
After the conclusion of the third game in the ongoing ODI series between India and Australia, India's batting coach Sanjay Bangar has confirmed that wicket-keeper MS Dhoni will be rested for the final two games of the series.
The background
India lost the 3rd game of the ongoing series by 32 runs to Australia at Ranchi. India was leading 2-0 before the start of this match and this loss meant that India has to win one of the remaining two games to seal the series.
MS Dhoni had scores of 59 & 0 in the previous two games and he supported Virat Kohli after the quick loss of 3 wickets in this match. MS scored 26 runs before he was bowled to Adam Zampa.
The details
With just a few opportunities available to fine-tune the squad for the World Cup, Team India has decided to rest veteran MS Dhoni for the last two games of the ongoing series against Australia. Batting coach Sanjay Bangar confirmed the news and was hopeful of better batting performance in the future games.
Rishabh Pant is the other wicket-keeper in the squad and the Delhi player is the likely replacement for MS in the squad. With India's middle-order struggling, this could be the chance for the team management to optimize the squad before the World Cup.
What's next?
The series stands at 2-1 in favour of India with the 4th game set to take place in Mohali on Sunday. While the home team will look to seal the series, Aussies will hope to set up a decider in the final game at Delhi.
MS Dhoni's next assignment would be the Indian Premier League which starts on March 23rd at Chennai.