National anthem forgotten in decider
In T20s, M.S. Dhoni’s role is at no. 4. He requires more time to get his eye in and then do the job. But the Rajkot game was a classic example because when Kohli was batting, Dhoni had to give strike to him. Kohli’s strike rate was 160, Dhoni’s strike rate was 80. That’s not good enough when India were chasing a mammoth total. I still feel it’s time for Dhoni to give youngsters a chance in the T20 format. I thought Rishabh Pant deserved a go because M.S. Dhoni will be there in the 2019 World Cup is what we’ve been told but the next World T20 is in 2020. That’s a long time away and this was the opportunity, this was the time when the Indians could’ve tested Pant and seen what he was worth. I think India must now look at other options, at least in T20s. In oneday cricket, they seem be happy with the role that he is playing. When you were the captain of the side, it was different. But just as a batsman, will India miss him, I don’t think so. In T20 cricket, it is lot easier to make that transition as there is lot of experience in that team apart from Dhoni now.
I think the Indian team management needs to have a chat with M.S. (Dhoni) and discuss his role in the side. He is a big name when it comes to T20. So before making any judgement, I believe that he should be given a fair chance to prove himself once again. The team also needs to think about the 2019 ICC World Cup and if Dhoni is unable to improve in the near future, they need to start looking at other alternatives. Match officials and organisers were “so much in a hurry” to start the third T20 between India and New Zealand that the prelude of the national anthem was given a miss when the Greenfield Stadium in Thiruvananthapuram made its international debut on Tuesday.
Barring Wednesday’s match, the anthems of both countries was played throughout series.
Jayesh George, the secretary of the Kerala Cricket Association said: “Yes, that was a mistake on our part.
“We were all there at the ground and in a hurry to start the match after rains. We forgot to play the national anthem.
“It’s a serious lapse on our part and I apologise (to the nation). It will never happen again,” said George.
Meanwhile, the KCA secretary said they had invited all ex-players from Kerala including S. Sreesanth for the series decider.
“But Sreesanth didn’t turn up,” George added. Team India needs M.S. Dhoni at the moment, even in T20 cricket. He will step down at the right time. He will never block the way for any young cricketer. He has to score from ball one and the team management should make him understand this point. Hardik Pandya getting out for one by not picking up a googly. We will not look at that. We will not look at the fact that openers did not give the usual start. We will only point a finger at M.S. Dhoni. So that is unfortunate. So, that is India for you. If you look at his record, nobody (team management) is really bothered. Whatever he has done, he has been doing well, he knows he is a legend. Whatever he is doing, it is benefitting the Indian team. No one has any doubts about him.