Dhoni can beat players 10 years junior to him
MS Dhoni, the former Indian skipper, has been scrutinized in the recent past for his failure to contribute to the team. However, he has done well in the limited overs' series recently. National coach Ravi Shastri feels, Dhoni has been an irreplaceable part of the Indian team so far and the player, despite being 36, still plays better than 26-year-olds.
"We are not stupid. I have been watching this sport for the last 30-40 years. Virat has been a part of this team for a decade now. We know, at this age, he (Dhoni) can beat players aged 26. People who talk, forget that they played the game," Shastri told 'India Today'.
He thinks, people who criticize the keeper-batsman, should analyse their career at 36.
"If they look at themselves in the mirror and ask the question, 'what they were at the age of 36?'. Would they have run two runs faster? But the time they finish two, this guy will run three. Then he has won only two World Cups and averages only 51. Till today you don't have a wicket-keeper to replace him in the one-day team,"
"He is still one of the best around, not only in the Indian team, but in the world. Some of the things you see with him are not sold in the market. You will not get it anywhere else," he said.
"The fact that he does not play Test cricket, means he should be playing as much cricket as possible till the World Cup in 2019," he added.
Ravi Shastri also talked about their upcoming series against South Africa.
He said, "For us all opposition is the same, all oppositions have to be respected and every game is a home match. And as it turned out that next we are in South Africa. Where South Africa is different is that we haven't won a series in South Africa,"
"Therein lies a massive opportunity for the team to do something special. The belief is there. We are going there and we will treat South Africa like we treat any other opposition we have played against. There will be respect but we will go there to win," he added.
Shastri praised the current Indian skipper Virat Kohli as well.
"The great thing about Virat is his work ethic, his realisation of what kind of player he can become and what he it takes to become that player... And it has become part of his lifestyle.
"What happens is, that when you have a captain in that frame of mind, wanting to achieve things others can only dream of. Then it rubs off on other players. Others want to emulate him. He wants to raise the bar for himself and he doesn't want any room for excuses," he said.
"The most important thing about the team is that this is a team and not an individual. The word 'I' can be thrown out of the window. It is always we. Individuals can stay at home if they are not part of the team culture. No matter how big the individual. That is the difference with this team," he said.
Former Indian stumper Kiran More also heaped praise on Dhoni saying he is still the leader of the pack. His ability to control the bowlers has amazed More.
“A wicketkeeper’s partnership with the bowlers is one of the most effective ones in cricket. You see Warne-Healy, Warne-Gilchrist. The wicketkeeper is often the leader of the pack as he knows what is happening on the pitch and can tell the bowlers and captain about things to do. Dhoni is very sharp and he connects quickly with the bowlers. You saw him taking that brilliant catch down the leg side.”
He added, “You see the keeper is like a captain. Dhoni is the best man to handle the bowlers, especially the youngsters. He speaks and you can hear him, it is so clear.”
