Dhoni no longer the player he used to be: Azharuddin
Kanpur: Rohit Sharma’s rollicking 150-run knock went in vain as South Africa pulled off a thrilling five-run victory in the first cricket One-dayer against India to continue their winning run here on Sunday.
Chasing a record 304 at the Green Park, the Indians fell agonisingly short of the target in the last over, giving the visitors a 1-0 lead in the five-match series.
With India needing 22 off the last two overs, captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni failed to finish the job after Rohit (150 runs off 133 balls) got out in the 47th over. The script went horribly wrong after Rohit’s departure as India crumbled under pressure to end at 298 for seven.
Rohit’s eighth ton in ODIs ended in a losing cause and it came after AB de Villiers’s unbeaten 104 off 73 balls that propelled South Africa to 303 for five, the highest score at this venue surpassing 294 made by the hosts in 2007.
India seemed set to chase down the total until they lost the plot in the final few overs with Dhoni (31), Suresh Raina (3) and Stuart Binny (2) falling well short of expectations.
They would have been nowhere near the target if it was not for Rohit, who opened the batting in Kanpur heat and lasted almost till the end. His herculean effort comprised 13 fours and six sixes.
India, however, began the chase smoothly, scoring at run a ball to be 90 for one in 15 overs. The start would have been even better had Shikhar Dhawan (23) been not adjudged lbw to a questionable decision with the ball appearing to go down the leg side.
Ajnkya Rahane (60), who was a surprise inclusion in the team, came in at no.3 ahead of Virat Kohli and alongside Rohit, forged a carefully crafted partnership.
De Villers enthralled the local crowd in the first half of the game and then it was the turn of their own hero Rohit, whose strokes square off the wicket gelled beautifully with his cover drives. Back in the side, Rahane too began in style, punching a cover drive off speedster Kagiso Rabada.
Meanwhile, former India captain Mohammed Azharuddin today said that Mahendra Singh Dhoni is “no longer the player he used to be” and has to lead from the front by batting up the order and set an example for his teammates.
“He (Dhoni) is the captain and there will be tremendous pressure on him. If he doesn’t perform, selectors will have to think about him. He is not the player he used to be. Obviously to make an impact he has to come up the order. Once the dressing room finds captain doing what he is required to do, others will follow him,” Azharuddin told PTI during an interaction on sidelines of Delhi’s Ranji Trophy match at Feroz Shah Kotla. (PTI)
South Africa
Q de Kock c Raina b Ashwin 29
H Amla b Mishra 37
F du Plessis lbw b Yadav 62
AB de Villiers not out 104
D Miller st Dhoni b Mishra 13
JP Duminy c Dhoni b Yadav 15
F Behardien not out 35
Total: (5 wkts; 50 overs) 303
Fall of Wickets: 1-45, 2-104, 3-152, 4-197, 5-238.
Bowling: Kumar 10-0-67-0, Yadav 10-0-71-2, Ashwin 4.4-0-14-1, Mishra 10-0-47-2, Binny 8-0-63-0, Raina 7-0-37-0, Kohli 0.2-0-1-0.
India
R Sharma c and b Tahir 150
S Dhawan lbw b Morkel 23
A Rahane c Miller b Behardien 60
V Kohli c Morkel b Steyn 11
M Dhoni c & b Rabada 31
S Raina c Duminy b Tahir 3
S Binny c Amla b Rabada 2
B Kumar not out 1
A Mishra not out 0
Total: (For 7 wkts, 50 overs) 298
Fall of Wickets: 1-42, 2-191, 3-214, 4-269, 5-273, 6-297, 7-297.
Bowling: Steyn 10-0-54-1, Rabada 10-0-58-2, Behardien 6-0-38-1, Morkel 10-0-51-1, Duminy 4-0-36-0, Tahir 10-0-57-2.