MS Dhoni survived a couple of close calls in the final ODI match against Australia during his match-winning innings, earlier today. Dhoni remained unbeaten on 87 runs, as India went on to win the 3rd ODI match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, and eventually the series, 2-1. With this innings, the wicket-keeper batsman has silenced his critics in his usual style!

Dhoni didn’t have a great 2018. The critics slammed the former Indian captain for his slow-approach in the limited overs format. However, Dhoni came all guns blazing in the New Year, i.e. 2019, and now has three half-centuries in three ODIs in Australia. MS Dhoni Has a Lucky Escape at MCG, Survives Despite Edging the Ball to Wicket Keeper During Ind vs Aus 3rd ODI Gillette Series 2019.

The runs didn’t come out flowing as smoothly and fluently as it did in the previous years. But the contributions by MS Dhoni in the middle-order were the vital cog in India’s maiden bilateral ODI series win in Australia.

MS Dhoni scored a half-century in the first ODI at Sydney, where India lost the match eventually. He was criticised for his slow approach in the game where he scored 51 runs off 96 balls. MS Dhoni Could Join Elite List of Players Like Sachin Tendulkar, Virat Kohli During Ind vs Aus, 3rd ODI 2019.

In the second match at the Adelaide Oval, MS Dhoni scored at a strike rate of 101.85. He scored 55 runs off 54 balls, which helped India win a nail-biting match, while chasing the target of 299 runs. Skipper Kohli had hailed the innings as an ‘MS Classic’.

In the third ODI in Melbourne, India was reeling on 57/2 when MS Dhoni came out to play. He was dropped on the first ball by Glenn Maxwell – Australia’s one of the most excellent fielders – when he tried to slash the ball outside the off-stump line.

With Kohli perishing when India needed 118 runs in 20 overs, the platform set looked set for another classic knock by Dhoni. He got another reprieve when Aaron Finch dropped him – another excellent fielder in Australian camp – in the 48th over with 27 runs more to win. Read India vs Australia,  3rd ODI Match  Highlights from MCG.

After a couple of dropped catches and missed run-out chances, Dhoni hard-fought his 114-ball stay at the crease. However, the ‘classic MS’ took over, and the former Indian captain, along with Kedar Jadhav, ensured that the former captain helped India script history in Australia!

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 18, 2019 04:49 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).