Dhoni best suited at No 5, 6

MAHENDRA SINGH DHONI’S finishing skills remain unmatched and the former captain will be an asset in India’s lower middle order at this year’s World Cup, former teammate Suresh Raina told Reuters.

The sight of Dhoni depositing Sri Lanka seamer Nuwan Kulasekara into the Wankhede Stadium stands to seal victory in the 2011 World Cup final is etched in the memory of most Indians.

No target was deemed out of reach with the hard-hitting right-hander at the crease, but that clean striking and fluid swing of the heavy bat are rare these days and many believe Dhoni,

is no more the finisher than he was before.

His sharp glovework makes Dhoni India’s first-choice wicketkeeper in limited-overs cricket but his batting position for the World Cup, when he will be 38, continues to be debated.

“For MS, the ideal position would be No 5 or 6,” Raina, who is an integral part of the Dhoni-led Chennai Super Kings side in the IPL, said in an interview. “He is such a keen reader of the game and brings years of experience. When required he can build up an innings and his finishing skills are unmatched.”

Dhoni has played 340 ODIs for India and scored more than 10 000 runs at an average of just under 51. His role as a finisher is crucial for India’s World Cup campaign with the team’s No 4 batting position still to be sealed.

That has led to suggestions that captain Virat Kohli, also the team’s best batsman, should bat a place lower than his usual No 3 spot. |