With an extraordinary 165 stumpings across all of the three formats for cricket, MS Dhoni has ascertained time and time again that he is the greatest wicket-keeper for spinners ever. However, even he has been on the receiving end of this type of dismissal, and this article takes a look at the top three times it happened.
T20I vs. Australia (Guwahati, 2017)
After they lost the toss at Barsapara Cricket Stadium, the Indian team got into trouble early on, when Jason Behrendorff tore the top-order asunder with an ominous spell.
From 27/4, the host team managed to ride on a short partnership between Dhoni and Kedar Jadhav to reach 60 as they neared the innings’ half-way mark.
As punters who had money riding on the game at the online betting NZ sites that provided markets for it, Adam Zampa put a dent in India’s aspirations when he dismissed Dhoni. In the tenth over, the right-handed player was drawn out of his crease by a fine delivery from the cunning leg-spinner. Since he could not read the trajectory, the seasoned batsman was unable to get close to the ball.
Tim Paine finished a neat stumping which left the hosts in even more trouble. The Indians eventually got bowled out for the measly total of 118, and the Australians sauntered to a very comfortable victory.
ODI vs. West Indies (Chennai, 2011 World Cup)
This was a very significant occasion, being the final group match for the World Cup of 2011. After already qualifying for the knockout stages, India faced off with two-time champions West Indies.
Riding on a splendid knock by Yuvraj Singh, the host team reached a good position by the time Dhoni appeared for play. He continued the momentum by rotating strikes regularly, but, just as it looked like he was setting himself up for the big blitz at the death overs, Dhoni got his stay cut short thanks to Devendra Bishoo. Bishoo enticed Dhoni with a well-flighted delivery, and then beat him in the air.
Devon Thomas took care of the rest, and Dhoni departed for the dressing room. However, despite Dhoni’s untimely dismissal, India went on to amass an alarming total which put them beyond the West Indies’ reach.
Test vs. South Africa (Kanpur, 2008)
Thanks to the fact that Anil Kumble, the team’s regular skipper, was out of the game, the pressure was on Dhoni to deliver an excellent sports performance, and this was amplified by this game being his debut as a captain in Tests.
A combination of sharp seam bowling and aggressive spin aided India in bowling South Africa out for just 265 in the game’s first innings.
However, the hosts’ aim of taking a strong lead got hit hard when Morne Morkel and Dale Steyn reduced them to 188/5. Coming out with a plan, Dhoni began his counter-attack, stitching together a vital partnership with Sourav Ganguly, the former captain for the Indian team.
When he was batting on 32, the wicketkeeper/batsman had an unusual rush of blood, and proceeded to dance his way down the track. But Paul Harris handled it, and a quicker, flatter deliver scooted off of the pitch, leaving Dhoni stranded.
Mark Boucher than showed the value of experience and handed out a stunning stumping. After Dhoni’s dismissal, India eked out a lead of 60 runs, and then cruised to an eight-wicket win to square off the series.