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Dhoni's 5 Greatest Finishes

Prakat

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Prakat

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dhonis5greatestfinishes_stlucia2009_600x450.jpgDhoni vs. West Indies, St Lucia (2009) Captain courageous led from the front as he scored a Man of the Match/match-winning 46 in 34 balls to successfully chase down 159. In the third and decisive match of the one-day series between India and the West Indies, rain threatened to play spoilsport. Thankfully, it relented just enough to at least allow 20-odd overs per side. Thanks to the Duckworth-Lewis Method, Team India had to score the required runs in 22 overs. Dhoni made sure the visitors got home with 6 wickets in hand and a ball to spare. A close finish indeed! dhonis5greatestfinishes_lahore2006_600x450.jpgDhoni vs. Pakistan, Lahore (2006) MS Dhoni went a long way in sealing his reputation as a big finisher in the third of the five one-dayers played between India and Pakistan in 2006. Batting first, the hosts piled on 288 runs on a flat Gaddafi track. After getting to a strong position--thanks to a 95 by Sachin Tendulkar--Team India was rocked by a couple of quick wickets. However, when Dhoni came in to bat at 190/5 in the 35th over, he took complete charge of the situation and scored a 46-ball 72 to take India home without losing another wicket and with 14 balls to spare! Still think Dhoni's not a great finisher?! Dhoni vs. Sri Lanka, Jaipur (2005) This is where Dhoni mania officially began! Barely a few matches into his international career, MSD annouced his arrival to the whole world. India was tasked with chasing down a mammoth 299 in 50 overs. They started off badly as Tendulkar fell to Chaminda Vaas with the scorecard reading 7/1. Enter MS Dhoni. The long-locked wicketkeeper from Jharkhand took charge of the situation from the get-go and hit a whopping 15 fours and 10 sixes on his way to a career-best 183 not out! On the day, he was the only Indian batsman to cross the 40-run mark (in a game that India won by 4 wickets). This just goes to show how dominant he was that day. Little wonder why every Indian fan is familiar with the phrase 'Dhoni 183*!' Dhoni vs. Australia, Adelaide (2012) Hoping to secure a one-day win over Australia this summer, Team India was in a great position until opener Gautam Gambhir departed in their chase of 270. With an all-too-familiar middle order collapse in the offing, it was up to Dhoni to finally come through on an otherwise barren tour. Well, he did and how! Needing 12 runs off the last 4 balls, Dhoni hit what he claimed was one of the sweetest sixes of his career to bring India within striking distance of the target. He made sure he kept his wits about him and steered India home with 2 balls to spare! Looks like he's still got the Midas touch! dhonis5greatestfinishes_mumbai2011_600x450.jpgDhoni vs. Sri Lanka, Mumbai (2011) While he had an indifferent World Cup until the finals, the Indian captain waited for the very last moment to bring out his best of the tournament. In what will go down as the most important innings he's ever played, Dhoni first stabilized the Indian ship and then steered his team to a win on the biggest stage in cricket. India was chasing Sri Lanka's 274, and were in front for most parts until Virat Kohli got out with the score at 114/3. Dhoni and Gautam Gambhir managed to add another 109 runs before Gambhir fell prey to a brash shot. However, Dhoni ensured that the Sri Lankans were down for the count as he and Yuvraj Singh guided India to a famous win. Dhoni's World Cup-winning shot will, of course, go down as one of the best sixes in Indian cricket history! http://guylife.com/hot-list-sport/cricket-dhonis-5-greatest-finishes/10945

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