CWC 2015: India vs Ireland - Best MS Dhoni comments caught on stump microphone

MS Dhoni’s position behind the wickets gives him the best view of the entire ground. As a captain and a wicket-keeper, he’s able to see how the batsman is shaping up for his shots, follow any weaknesses and judge what his bowlers may do differently to bring about a dismissal.Against Ireland on Tuesday, Dhoni was at his vocal and tactical best. Having seen his fast bowlers leak runs at the start, he did what he does so often and so effectively in the ODIs – bring his spinners to the game and squeeze the flow of runs, pressuring the batsmen into giving away their wickets.And when he is in this mode, he wants the entire machinery to work together. He wants his fielders to be on their toes, anticipating where the batsman is going to play his shot, wants them to throw better and field better. He’s not satisfied with half-hearted efforts and keeps telling his bowlers what line and length to bowl to the batsmen.On a rare day, when the stadium isn’t jam packed with supporters and you can actually hear the conversation in the middle over the stump microphone, it is fascinating to watch the plan unfold in front of your eyes, learning the street smart ways of a captain who knows how to get the best out of his troops.Here are a few quips from Dhoni during the Ireland innings which allow us to view a brilliant cricketing mind:

#1 The mind behind Jadeja\'s bowling

When Jadeja bowls, almost the entire bowling plan is hatched behind the stumps by this man

The first ball of Jadeja’s 3rd over is short (14th of the innings), with plenty of room to cut for William Porterfield. He duly dispatches it to the boundary. The next ball too is short but directed at the stumps. Porterfield plays it back to the bowler. The third is nudged for a single.

Now on the fourth ball, Jadeja bowls a full and slow ball to Paul stirling, who defends it.

Dhoni claps, and says, “Aage se maarne de” [Translation: Let him hit it off the front foot]. He’s urging Jadeja to bowl full and not let the batsmen play off the back foot.

Next ball, Jadeja drops it short again, and Stirling rocks back to pull it over the midwicket boundary for a six! That’s the last over of Jadeja’s first spell. Dhoni replaces him with Raina.