Credit: ICC
Aakash Chopra shared his different take on MS Dhoni’s knock in the semi-final of the 2019 ODI World Cup against New Zealand in Stretford. It’s been more than six years since that famous game which still haunts the Indian cricket fans. Chasing a target of 240 runs, India were bowled out for 221 runs losing the game by 18 runs. The Men in Blue were already in a tough situation as they were reduced to 92/6 in 30.3 overs.
After that, MS Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja kept India’s hopes alive with their partnership of 116 runs for the seventh wicket as India were back in the game. However, their efforts went in vain as India failed to chase the winning target. Dhoni got run out in the 19th over after scoring 50 runs off 72 balls. Since then, the former Indian captain has been getting a lot of criticism from the fans for playing slow and not diving to save the runout.
As many mouths, that many opinions: Aakash Chopra
Talking about MS Dhoni’s 2019 World Cup semi-final knock, Aakash Chopra said that it would have been an iconic innings if India had won that game. “See, when it comes to doing something, as many mouths, that many opinions. But your response to a pressure situation has to be something that comes from what you’ve worked hard on since childhood. Because anything you do apart from that has a very high failure rate. So that understanding of his that day, and he almost finished the match, he had nearly taken the team there. If just those two shots had connected, it would’ve been another game altogether. I mean, he would’ve won that match. It would have been an iconic innings.” Chopra said at The Rounac Podcast with RJ Rounac on YouTube..
“I think that day his batting order should have been a little higher. They sent him too low down. I think that was one mistake, a tactical error that India made. And if you criticize his way of playing, then you can’t celebrate his finishing ability. Both can’t go together. Because then you’ll become result oriented, if he wins you praise, if not you criticize," he further added.
