Ajit Agarkar lauds MS Dhoni's unique feat in ODIs

Former Indian pacer Ajit Agarkar has praised MS Dhoni, as the ex-skipper appears in his 300th ODI match against Sri Lanka today. Agarkar, who has played 26 Test matches and 191 ODIs for India, lauded the calmness and composure of the wicket-keeper batsman. Dhoni became the second wicketkeeper after Kumar Sangakkara, to play 300 ODI games.  Agarkar spoke about Dhoni’s remarkable longevity in the game, since he is not only a batsman but also a wicket-keeper. He also mentioned the fact that the former Indian skipper hasn’t missed too many games since making his debut in 2004.

One of the finest finishers in the limited overs cricket, Dhoni has been in good nick, as he stroked an unbeaten 47* against the Lankans in the 2nd ODI and followed it up with another match winning 67* in the 3rd ODI.  India were in trouble on both occasions. In the 2nd game, India were jolted at 131/7 while in the next match, the score read 61/4 at one stage. The veteran batsman crafted his knock to perfection in both cases and took India home safely. In 299 ODIs, Dhoni has piled up 9608 runs, along with 10 centuries and 65 fifties, and maintained an impressive average of 51.93.

Agarkar takes an U-turn

Interestingly, Agarkar had earlier questioned Dhoni’s spot in the Indian side, a couple of years back. Speaking to ESPNcricinfo ahead of India’s ODI series against South Africa, Agarkar had said, “the selectors need to have a closer look at what MS Dhoni is doing, not just as captain, but as a player as well”.

Agarkar went hard on Dhoni, saying, “He has been a great player for India, but you don’t want him to become a liability for the team. And he needs to perform a lot better than he has [been]. Just because he has done it over the years, doesn’t mean it’s okay for him to fail.”

Clearly, a consistent show and a calm presence has made the cricket pundits bite the bullet. With the kind of form Dhoni is in, and the level of fitness he has maintained in the last three years, the experienced campaigner would look to grab his ticket for the 2019 World Cup.