M.S. Dhoni, the formidable finisher, is nerveless, has no fear of failure, possesses a cool and calculative mind even when emotions are swirling around him, and is ruthless with his astonishing bat-speed, dexterous wrists and power.
Crucially, he comprehends when to strike. He picks his moment and the bowler.
Dhoni’s believe-it-or-not onslaught at 40 at the death against old foe Mumbai Indians was a blast from the past.
When Dhoni swaggered in, CSK required 54 from 31 deliveries. Then, Dhoni sprinted like a young man, innovated, created and eventually delivered the knock-out blow with a whirlwind unbeaten 13-ball 28.
Dhoni, typically took the game very deep, and the opposition made mistakes under pressure.
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Finally, it boiled down to 16 off the last four.
Crucially, Dhoni stands still, does not give away much in the form of early and pronounced movements. And Dhoni has a map of the field-placements in his head, has a clarity of thought with the length of the ball dictating his shot selection. He does pick the length early.
He smoked left-armer Jaydev Unadkat for a straight six, followed it up with a pulled boundary. The first ball was pitched up and the second landed short but Dhoni was ready for both.
He flicked the next ball for a brace. With four needed off one ball, Dhoni cleverly directed the full length delivery, defeating the short fine-leg.
The finisher had Lived at the death to tell yet another tale.
