When Mahendra Singh Dhoni retired from international cricket, Team India not only lost a finisher but also a Decision Review System (DRS) specialist. After Dhoni, none of the Indian captains could utilize the system properly that was introduced in 2011 by the sport’s governing body ICC. This aspect assumed greater significance in recent times when Rohit Sharma and other makeshift captains fumbled upon crucial decisions.
Recently, in the India-Australia T-20 at Mohali also at a crucial juncture when Cameroon Green was inflicting heavy damage on India’s prospects, the men in blue, including the captain, gave a valuable gift to the Aussie marauder. In the end, India lost the match but everyone was reminded of the importance of having Dhoni in the team because he always got the DRS calls right. So, today we will go through four instances to prove why it won’t be a wrong idea to rechristen Decision Review System as Dhoni Review System.
Morgan’s Faint Edge Missed Everyone But MSD
Sometimes edges, especially faint ones, can be hard to hear for everyone including the umpire due to the noise of the crowd in the stadium. Similarly, in 2017, during an India-England ODI clash, Hardik Pandya’s wide delivery kissed the glove of Eoin Morgan before ending up in the gloves of Dhoni. The umpire did not raise his finger upon the casual appeals by Indian players and everyone, except for one player, had reservations over taking DRS. But Dhoni went for the reviews straight away and was proved right eventually.
Cut Shorts Haq’s Stay At The Crease
Even after relinquishing the captaincy, Dhoni was of great help to the successive captains, be it Virat Kohli or Rohit Sharma. During an Asia Cup encounter involving Pakistan and India, the former captain yet again came to the rescue of the then captain Rohit in the absence of Kohli. In a decisive moment in the game, when Yuzhvendra Chahal’s delivery hit the pad of Pak’s Imam-ul-Haq the umpire turned down the appeals by Indian players. However, Dhoni suggested Rohit to go for the DRS as he was confident that the ball would have hit the wicket had it not been for the pad. And, Dhoni was right yet again, proving his mastery over the review system.
Rescues Yuvraj At A Critical Juncture
On another occasion in 2017, Dhoni got the DRS right as a batter at the non-striker’s end for a change. This transpired during an ODI encounter between India and England when Yuvraj was wrongly given out caught behind by the umpire off a widish yorker of Chris Woakes. But Dhoni sought the DRS even before Yuvraj could decide. And the review showed that the ball had indeed missed the bat of the Southpaw, proving for the umpteenth time that MSD can never go wrong with the review system.
Got It Right Even When The Bowler Was Not Upbeat
In the 2017 IPL edition, when Dhoni was playing for the Rising Pune Supergiants, the wicket-keeper batsman, yet again, showed his expertise over DRS. It was a match involving Pune and Mumbai, and in a crucial moment, an Imran Tahir delivery had struck the pad of Kieron Pollard. But, the umpire did not raise his finger, and the bat of the West Indian all-rounder was also too close to his pads, so even Tahir was not keen on the DRS. However, Dhoni backing his instinct, called for the review and was proved right, yet again.
