Out of favour India batsman Robin Uthappa reminisced an incident reflecting MS Dhoni’s cheekiness and humour as the great former India skipper gave ex England batsman Kevin Pietersen a memorable response.
The two-part story that Uthappa recalled is related to the 2011 Lord’s Test where Dhoni, as he went a bowler short because of Zaheer Khan’s injury, brought himself on to bowl and nearly dismissed Pietersen.
Dhoni’s gentle medium fast-bowling got Pietersen into trouble, as he initially got one to come into the batsman sharply and appealed for the LBW to which the on-field umpire didn’t respond positively.
But on the following delivery, Dhoni did manage to have Billy Bowden raise a finger in his favour when Pietersen, presuming another inswinger, saw the ball skid through straight from very close to his outside edge.
However, even as the Indian team went up in jubilation, Pietersen was reprieved immediately thereafter by the DRS review, which revealed he hadn’t nicked the ball.
Years later, when Pietersen was commentating during an IPL 2017 fixture, Dhoni funnily made it a point to remind him he was nearly his first Test wicket, which was a response on being sledged over his golfing skills.
“I’ll give you an example. MS said to Kevin Pietersen when he sledged him from the commentary box. MS told him ‘listen I’ve gotten your wicket so please keep quiet. So, I think that is proof enough for what he endorses and what he doesn’t,”
“He’s very quick-witted. His wit, if not the same speed of his glove-work, it could be faster. MS’ wit is quick.”
Uthappa was quoted as saying.
Uthappa narrated another incident that reflects the often understated aspect of Dhoni’s personality on and off the field. The incident is from the winter of 2007 when the then ODI world champions Australia visited India for a limited-overs series, featuring seven 50-over internationals and a standalone T20I.
During the T20I played in Mumbai, Dhoni, usually very unexpressive himself, designated Uthappa sledging duties to get into the skins of the opposition players, especially someone as pivotal as Ricky Ponting.
“In 2007 when we played a one-off T20 game against Australia, we were at it. MS would put me in charge of sledging some of the senior members of that Australia team like Ricky Ponting. So, in a one-day game, they would make me stand at silly point just to chew Ricky Ponting and all. It was great fun,”
Uthappa recalled.
2007 was a memorable year for MS Dhoni as he took a young Indian side to glory at the inaugural T20 World Cup in South Africa and started another era of Indian cricket. Later on, India also won the 2011 ODI World Cup and the 2013 Champions Trophy under his captaincy.
Dhoni was the rare international captain to lift all three major ICC trophies during his highly successful tenure at the helm. In all, India won 110 and lost only 74 of their 200 ODIs under Dhoni and also got the better of the opposition in 41 of their 72 T20Is, losing just 28. Under him, India also claimed supremacy on the ICC Test rankings table, becoming the No.1 side in the traditional whites for the very first time in 2009.
