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Michael Clarke praised MS Dhoni’s captaincy as the key factor in CSK’s win against LSG. Dhoni’s strategic use of bowlers helped CSK end their five-match losing streak.
MS Dhoni for Chennai Super Kings (Picture Credit: AP)
Former Australia captain Michael Clarke said MS Dhoni’s vintage captaincy was the ‘best thing that happened’ in Chennai Super Kings (CSK)’s clash against Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) on Monday. He believes that Dhoni using his experience in rotating the bowlers was a ‘defining moment’ for CSK’s five-wicket win in Lucknow.
This was Dhoni‘s second match as captain this season after Ruturaj Gaikwad was ruled out due to an elbow injury. By keeping LSG down to a sub-par 166 in the first innings and then chasing it in 19.3 overs, CSK finally ended their five-match losing streak in the season. Apart from using his spinners well — something that Gaikwad was constantly criticized for — Dhoni remained unbeaten after a handy 26 (11) and chipped in with a stumping, a catch and a now-viral run-out with the gloves.
“It’s always loud when MS Dhoni’s in town,” Clarke said on Star Sports. “Look, his keeping does not surprise me. I’ve said it before, in my opinion, he’s still the best wicketkeeper in the world. It’s phenomenal how consistent he’s been over a long period of time. I thought his captaincy was spot on tonight as well, the way he used both spinners through the middle, got through overs quick, built some pressure.”
“The best thing that happened tonight was MS Dhoni’s captaincy. It was phenomenal. He read the situation, he adjusted to the conditions, he bowled his spinners in tandem, exactly like MS Dhoni has done his entire career. He got them on, they rushed through the overs, they changed the pace of the game, they used the surface, they picked up wickets. I just think his experience out there on the field was defining tonight as captain,” Clarke added.
In this match, CSK’s task was made easier because none of the LSG batters who spent time on the field could hit enough boundaries to push the score beyond the par-level. Rishabh Pant, the LSG captain, was the top-scorer with 63 runs but took as many as 49 deliveries to reach there.
CSK now have a couple of difficult matches coming up. They’ll first travel to the Wankhede to play against Mumbai Indians on April 20 before hosting Sunrisers Hyderabad in Chepauk on April 25.
