What's your expection from Dhoni as a batsman in test matches?

[Cricketics]

I clearly see lot of people asking for him to be dropped. People need to remember he doesn't bat a top order. He bats at no. 7 regularly in tests. He averages 40 in total. 33 is his average overseas. He has a good average in New Zealand. He averages about 30 in South Africa, where tail explodes away in 20 runs, so clearly he isn't batting much with them or has much time with them. Off course not every time, like today he got out at crucial time. Averages pretty bat in Australia. Just 18. People mentiong he should be replaced by Saha and all. My simple question to all, what do you expect from Dhoni. How much I mean. How much more you want him to average for a no. 7 batsman? For me, he is best in INdia. Not a great bat in test, but still pretty good. Yes, needs to improve his average overseas, but some of our best players don't average that well in test away from home. And how much you think players like Saha will be able to average if they replace Dhoni for overseas. Please be specific in your answers. Let's have a good debate on this.

[NareshK]

He is our best option at the moment. Average of 40 is good for a wicket keeper in tests. Even in overseas conditions, he has done decently considering the fact that our batsmen dont find it easy in SA/Eng/Aus. Those who think Saha is a better batsman than him dont know what they're talking about.

[SLICKR392]

He is our best option at the moment. 40 is pretty decent good for a wicket keeper in tests. Even in overseas conditions' date=' he has done decently considering the fact that our batsmen dont find it easy in SA/Eng/Aus. [b']Those who think Saha is a better batsman than him dont know what they're talking about.

That's the best and the most funniest part of all. To counter Dhoni they bring up Saha's name with zero knowledge about his current form or skills. There are better bat/wk in Samson and Tare, AFAIK.

[fineleg]

saha will be like sir jaddu batting against steyn. No use. At least Dinesh Karthik has good scores in SA and Eng. Question is - what is your expectation of Team India overseas? Do you want Team India to win Tests in away series? What abt series draw? or series win? Answer that, and only then what is expected of keeper-batsman can be looked at. Today MSD is TINA - there is no alternative. So, we have to live with what we got. BCCI needs to pay attn to grooming next gen keeper-bat.

[ThePhenomenal1]

DK > Dhoni in keeping imo, DK stuggles with keeping to spinners though. Plus we have rayudu, which is better than using a non-keeper

[Cricketics]

saha will be like sir jaddu batting against steyn. No use. At least Dinesh Karthik has good scores in SA and Eng. Question is - what is your expectation of Team India overseas? Do you want Team India to win Tests in away series? What abt series draw? or series win? Answer that, and only then what is expected of keeper-batsman can be looked at. Today MSD is TINA - there is no alternative. So, we have to live with what we got. BCCI needs to pay attn to grooming next gen keeper-bat.

No you wanna be oversmart person. Answer to the thread question. How much do you expect him to average? Are you scared that you will end up looking silly in future if some of the keepers who replace him average lower than Dhoni? So just answer. You talk a lot usually, how about you give your two cents here too.

[vamos_rafa]

Till the point he got out, Ikindaliked his inning. All I expect from him is to chip in and score around 40. Because of the way he plays, he would kinda ensure that 40 is scored in relatively faster time.

[fineleg]

No you wanna be oversmart person. Answer to the thread question. How much do you expect him to average? Are you scared that you will end up looking silly in future if some of the keepers who replace him average lower than Dhoni? So just answer. You talk a lot usually, how about you give your two cents here too.

I would want MSD to average 38-40 overall (not just in subcontinent). Saha will average 13. And I dont see a great alternative currently.

[Sachin=GOD]

He's so hopeless a batsman in Tests that I don't really expect anything from him.

[The Outsider]

Number 7 batsman is not about averages. It's about scoring crucial runs at crucial times. Dhoni averages more than Kapil at number 7, hardly means anything. Look at the value of runs, rather than just the runs. On the last tour to South Africa Dhoni had a good average. But it was essentially driven by a meaningless 90 in the first test when the match was over. Same in the last tour to England - all innings except one coming when there was nothing left in the match. When a contribution from him was crucial at Lords and Trent Bridge he folded. If he had scored a half century in this innings that would have been an important contribution. Meaningless runs to pad up averages are just that, meaningless.

[Cricketics]

So far this thread is proving that Dhoni gets so much stick from people for no reason. Those people who blame him for captaincy would also mention his batting average to have some weight in their debate and to prove that Dhoni doesn't belong to this test team. But when it comes to proving if he can be dropped or replaced by someone, there is no replacement hard to prove that he is a worse than a mediocre batsman. Because for a no. 7, he is pretty good.

[Cricketics]

Number 7 batsman is not about averages. It's about scoring crucial runs at crucial times. Dhoni averages more than Kapil at number 7, hardly means anything. Look at the value of runs, rather than just the runs. On the last tour to South Africa Dhoni had a good average. But it was essentially driven by a meaningless 90 in the first test when the match was over. Same in the last tour to England - all innings except one coming when there was nothing left in the match. When a contribution from him was crucial at Lords and Trent Bridge he folded. If he had scored a half century in this innings that would have been an important contribution. Meaningless runs to pad up averages are just that, meaningless.

nO. 7 can't really score crucial runs that easily. He has had to bat with Zaheer, Harbhajan etc. You check of fall of wickets or watch the highlights from the past games, when he has gotten out after the players like Laxman got out. Meaning, when INdia were 6,7 down, Dhoni was batting with Zaheer, Bhajji or Ishant instead of Laxman or Ganguly batting with the tail. Still to average that, is pretty good.

[vvvslaxman]

Not to chase full and wide balls outside the off. That is all i expect.

[saneindian]

With Dhoni the problem is not just his batting. His average keeping and laidback captaincy is also a huge factor. The regularity with which he's missed catches recently is alarming. As for answer to the thread, anywhere around 35-36 in Aus/SA/Eng would be good enough IMO, more importantly runs from him when the team needs it the most and he needs to be around to hold the innings together.

[maniac]

Most of our starts even in 8-0 debacle were squandered thanks to Dhoni's ineptness...dont let some numbers fool you. Prior in recent times and Haddin in the current series show what having a genuine batsmen in that position does

[The Outsider]

nO. 7 can't really score crucial runs that easily. He has had to bat with Zaheer, Harbhajan etc. You check of fall of wickets or watch the highlights from the past games, when he has gotten out after the players like Laxman got out. Meaning, when INdia were 6,7 down, Dhoni was batting with Zaheer, Bhajji or Ishant instead of Laxman or Ganguly batting with the tail. Still to average that, is pretty good.

Again, average despite my trying to explain the value of crucial runs rather than averages padded up by meaningless scores. Even the likes of Amit Mishra have made merry when the game is over, which are the kind of situations Dhoni has scored the vast majority of his runs on our last three tours to England, South Africa, and Australia.

[Sachin=GOD]

Number 7 batsman is not about averages. It's about scoring crucial runs at crucial times. Dhoni averages more than Kapil at number 7, hardly means anything. Look at the value of runs, rather than just the runs. On the last tour to South Africa Dhoni had a good average. But it was essentially driven by a meaningless 90 in the first test when the match was over. Same in the last tour to England - all innings except one coming when there was nothing left in the match. When a contribution from him was crucial at Lords and Trent Bridge he folded. If he had scored a half century in this innings that would have been an important contribution. Meaningless runs to pad up averages are just that, meaningless.

completely agree. Most of the times he scores big in Tests only when there is a very solid foundation laid down by the top 5 batsmen. He'll come in at 370/5 or 430/5 and score a 70/80 or if we are playing at home, even a century but when the score is something 150/5 or 210/5 etc then you will hardly see any noteworthy innings by him.

[cowboysfan]

Show me a better option and I would drop him in a jiffy.

[Tailender]

a WK job is to keep wicket. if he averages 40 that's a bonus. don't know what all this fuss is about.

[maniac]

Show me a better option and I would drop him in a jiffy.

Take a chance with Samson