"I can understand if we are playing abroad" - When MS Dhoni lamented about lack of support from Indian fans
Former India captain MS Dhoni is one of the most revered cricketers in the world. He has a legion of fans, which only a handful of sporting personalities can boast of. The MSD mania during the Indian Premier League (IPL) is at an altogether different level. It with thus surprise many that Dhoni had once bemoaned about the Indian team not receiving enough support from fans.
Back in 2006, during England's tour of India, Dhoni had made a statement about the home team not receiving enough backing from their fans, especially when things were not going well for them.
Speaking at a felicitation ceremony in Delhi, the keeper-batter had said [as quoted by ESPNcricinfo]:
"We are not getting the support we want from our fans, particularly when things are not going well for us. I can understand if we are playing abroad, the support is going to be less for us there. When we are playing in India, we expect good support for us. It helps if you back us strongly.
"I don't want to be specific but you know what happened in Mumbai and here [in the first one-dayer in Delhi]," the Ranchi-born cricketer had gone on to add.
India went down to England by 212 runs at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai in the third Test of the 2006 series. The three-match series ended in a 1-1 draw. The crowd behavior during the Test match in Mumbai came in for a lot of criticism.
How Dhoni performed in the India vs England 2006 series
Dhoni played in all three Test matches of the 2006 India vs England series. In five innings, he scored 106 runs at an average of 21.20, with one half-century - a best of 64. In the ODIs, he scored 177 runs in five innings at an average of 59 and a strike rate of 85.09, with a best of 96 while opening the innings in Jamshedpur.
While the three-match one-day series ended in a 1-1 draw, the Men in Blue won the seven-match ODI series by an impressive 5-1 margin. The last ODI of the series was played in Indore. The hosts registered a thumping seven-wicket win as pacer S Sreesanth starred with figures of 6-55.