MSK Prasad recalls Dhoni's heroic move during Asia Cup
What's the story?
MSK Prasad's recent comments on MS Dhoni's future, keeping in mind the 2019 World Cup, sparked a lot of controversy. However, while addressing the audience at Tamil Nadu Sports Journalists Association, he hailed Dhoni in the context of last year's Asia Cup. He glorified the manner in which Dhoni performed on the field despite being injured.
Prasad recalled, “While training at the gym late in the night, Dhoni picked up weights and suddenly there was a catch in his back and fell with the weight. Thankfully, the weight did not fall on him. He could not walk, he was literally crawling. He pressed the alarm bell, and the medical staff immediately came and attended him. He was taken on a stretcher. He called me to his room and asked me why was I worrying so much? Then he said, even if my one leg is not there, I will still play against Pakistan,” Prasad said."
He then went on to state that everyone was worried about Dhoni's injury and were skeptical about his presence in the next game. However, Dhoni went on to defy all the doubts and took to the field to deliver a masterclass performance that he is renown for.
In case you didn't know...
A few days ago, Prasad made a comment about Dhoni's presence in the 2019 World Cup. He stated that Dhoni is not fit to play in the World Cup and that was enough to generate a lot of controversies.
In India's ongoing ODI series against Sri Lanka, Dhoni induced stability in India's innings after the loss of early wickets. He guided the team to the victory in the second and the third ODI with his patient knocks.
The details
Prasad revealed each and every detail of that incident. He said that team India were gearing up for a big match and everyone was anticipating a replacement. Dhoni, on the other hand, was determined that he would recover and perform in the match.
Not only this, Prasad also stated that the selectors had called Parthiv Patel as the replacement as they were not sure about taking Dhoni's words as the only reassurance.
As per the Asia Cup rules, the team list needs to be submitted 24 hours before a game. Every time anyone raised a doubt about Dhoni's participation in the next game, he let his bat do all the talking.
Prasad concluded that one needs to draw an inspiration from Dhoni's mental strength and strive hard to achieve the goal.
What's next?
It will be fair to assume that Dhoni will be a part of India's campaign in the 2019 World Cup. Before that, it is expected that he will continue to perform brilliantly as India gears up to take on Sri Lanka in the fourth ODI scheduled to take place at R. Premadasa stadium on 31st August.
Author's take
Time and again, few choose to question Dhoni's presence in the Indian team. Those countable in number, keep firing their doubts at him and he silences each one of them with his incredible contribution in the matches especially when the team appears to be crumbling under the attack of the opposition.
The fault lies in the idea that Dhoni's performance can be judged by the number of runs he scores. He, on the other hand, continues to grace the field with his impeccable performance aided by his composure, experience and channelled aggression.
He has saved the boat of the Indian team from sinking quite often and will continue to raise the standards of India's game in every match that he is a part of.