MS Dhoni brings out helicopter shot, Bhuvi sweats over yorkers

The last time Dhoni had held a bat at the MCG was to be the final time he did so in Test cricket. He had blocked, and defended-though with Dhoni it’s always more of a rustic block than textbook defence-en route to saving the third Test for India. He had then promptly announced his retirement from the longer format.

On Friday in the MCG nets, Dhoni was bringing out the heavy artillery. He was back to being the bully. He was back to being the merciless basher of the cricket ball. This was not just him showing off. This was Dhoni tuning up for the 50-over format. This was Dhoni loosening up his shoulders and forearms to take bowling attacks apart over the next two months.

Maximum training

For the time he was batting, the crunching sound of his mace-like bat striking the leather silenced the constant thuds of tennis-balls connecting with racquet cord from the outside courts of the adjoining Rod Laver Arena.

By now, Dhoni had announced to Mikey & Co that he was nearing the end of his session. They had one delivery each to outwit the World Cup winning captain.

Mikey was last up. He decided to change his hypothetical field one final time. “I’m taking a gamble MS. Bringing mid-wicket in, and pushing long-on wide,” he said. Dhoni smirked. Then just as he commenced his three-step run-up, the bowler yelled, “Six to win MS”. Dhoni was ready. It was a replica of the Shahid Afridi quicker-one, almost at the pace of Bhuvneshwar Kumar. It was full too. Out came the helicopter, and with one whirlwind motion, Dhoni had sent the ball scurrying over mid-wicket. “Maximummm…” he yelled out. This time the bowler had no response. He just stood there amazed. Then he picked up his helmet from behind the stumps, collected his bats and walked off. He looked ready. He looked primed. Beware the Aussies. Beware the Poms.

While he took off his pads, Dhoni was surrounded by the net bowlers, each wanting to get a feel of his bat. They looked like a bunch of school-boys being allowed to hold a real-life marine’s gun for the first-time.

Target: Block hole

Not too far away, Bhuvneshwar Kumar was being put through the grind by bowling coach Bharat Arun. It was a hot afternoon in Melbourne. There was some relief in there with a gentle breeze coming through at times from the nearby Yarra River. But it was still tough work for the bowlers. Kumar in particular, as he strived to get his yorkers right. He was at it for close to 30 minutes. Bowling at a set of stumps with no batsman, and just a pair of shoes to aim at near the popping crease.

In a way this was Malingaesque, but Arun kept adjusting the line and length at which he was placing the shoes, even if only marginally, thereby getting Kumar used to targeting a variety of spots on a similar length, so as to get him prepared for even batsmen who move around in their crease. Most times, Kumar did disturb the shoes, much to the delight of his bowling coach. He also hit the stumps on the full a few times. Then Arun made him shift to around the wicket, and bowl yorkers at a middle-and-leg line. Kumar was successful again.

The session ended with Kumar stationary in front of the stumps and looping balls towards the block-hole. The yorker-both in terms of how well it’s delivery and how well it’s dealt with-could in many ways decide the outcome of the World Cup. It’s been a bugbear for Indian seamers for generations now, and Kumar has often found himself wanting in the death overs. And just like how bowling the right length plays a decisive role in Tests, so it does in ODI cricket too. Their first net session in about a week’s time was all about getting the ball snaking into the block-hole for Kumar & Co. It was the first ball attempted by every single Indian seamer who bowled at the MCG nets two days prior to their opening game in the tri-series.

Speaking of yorkers, nobody plays it as well, and even gets runs off it, as Dhoni. And towards the end of his mini-battle with Mikey the net-bowler, there came a point when the spinner inquired,”Where are you going to hit me next?”

Pat came Dhoni’s reply. “Depends on where you are going to bowl to me,” he replied. In many ways, this exchange defined if not exemplified why the Indian captain is the most-feared batsman in ODI cricket.