I always appreciate his captaincy. The field adjustment or change of bowling, he always get the results.
England v India, 4th ODI, EdgbastonDhoni’s evolved wicketkeepingPlays of the day from the 4th ODI between England and India at Edgbaston
Sidharth Monga at Edgbaston
**September 2, 2014
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MS Dhoni seems to know exactly where the stumps are while wicketkeeping, even if they are behind him
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Thefield placement
It didn’t take MS Dhonilong to realise this was not a quick pitch. As early as the first over, he hadmoved his second slip to a fine gully and placed him a little close too. Almostlike a wide fourth slip standing a couple of paces up. In the fifth over,Alastair Cook got a shortish, widish delivery that he didn’t cutwhole-heartedly, playing just a chop, right into the ankles of Suresh Raina atthat fine short gully.
Thefield placement, part IIEver since the start of the South Africatour last year, Dhoni has been obsessed with the leg slip and leg gully. Itinitially looked like a plan just for Graeme Smith’s strong leg-side play, butthe presence of that fielder almost everywhere for many other batsmen, and forboth spinners and quicks, has been a source of frustration for observers. Inthis match, too, when Eoin Morgan and Joe Root got a partnership going andlimited Dhoni’s catching options, the India captain went for a leg slip asopposed to a regulation one. Finally, at long last, that leg slip got a catch.Morgan moved across to Ravindra Jadeja, got inside the line, closed the face,played it with the turn, and found that man Raina again. Dhoni stood andclapped nonchalantly.
ThepassageWhile wicketkeeping has not evolved as much as batting andbowling with the advent of shorter formats of the game, one of the modernfeatures is wicketkeepers standing in front of the stumps to save that half asecond when they have to whip the bails off. On some occasions, though, you cancome in the way of a direct hit. Not Dhoni. His knowledge of where he is withrelation to the stumps is phenomenal. He showed it in this game. First hedeflected a throw, from in front of the stumps, by opening the face of hisglove to hit the stumps, but couldn’t beat the batsman. Later in the innings,though, when Raina threw from short third man, Dhoni was in front of the stumpsagain. This time Dhoni knew the throw was accurate even though the stumps werebehind him, and made way for the ball. Chris Woakes was caught short.
ThereactionIn the third over of the day, Ajinkya Rahane made a diving saveat cover. He saved four runs. As per the modern convention all the fielders,led by Raina, converged on Rahane to congratulate him in a manner mildly moreanimated than that of the 1970’s bowlers after taking a wicket. The change thistime was Dhoni, who ran nearly 30 yards from his wicketkeeping position to patRahane. Only fielding efforts manage to draw such emotion from Raina. Later inthe day he was seen clearly cross when an outfielder was slow to come aroundand conceded a second.