Ind Aus ODI 2 Half Time: Dhoni Mania Hits Nagpur

For too long, Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s bat appeared to be silent. But for more another memorable impact, Dhoni deserves the credit as he set ablaze the Nagpur crowd with a blistering century in a drama filled innings in the second ODI between India and Australia.
After missing winning the match by four runs, team India needed to win the second ODI to stop Australia growing in confidence. Australia were boosted by Mitchell Johnson passing the fitness test though Brett Lee and James Hopes were left to warm the bench.
After India lost the wickets of Sachin Tendulkar and another promising kick starter Virender Sehwag, there was a need for India not to lose way again after Gautam Gambhir’s enterprising innings.
On this occasion, Gambhir found a determined Indian captain who withstood some hostile Australian intimidation to post his fifth ODI century.
India always looked good for posting a colossal total, their total of 195 for three in the thirtieth over indication of it. However, it was important to that the loss of Yuvraj Singh not affect Gambhir’s progress. But the fourth wicket partnership between Gambhir and Dhoni put a firm foundation for a fitting launch. Their 119 run partnership did not allow Ricky Ponting, Australian captain, to rest easy.
But if one thought that the runs came easy, they did because the Indians showed more guts, the batsmen were willing to put potential to execution and refused to be tamed by the aggression of the Australians, especially Mitchell Johnson.
Gambhir made seventy-six runs from eighty balls but Dhoni steadily stole the show as he reached the glorious three figures. The partnership was critical not to hand the initiative back to the Australian and the partnership that went from the fifteenth over to the thirty-third over ensured that the bridge of the middle overs was successfully navigated.
With the fall of Gambhir’s wicket, once again the situation presented itself where either the innings could cave in or grow to strength. As it turned out, Dhoni turned on the mayhem and was ably supported by a fearless Suresh Raina. India also played it smart by taking the batting Powerplay earlier than the forty-fifth over, giving the team the option to turn the last seven overs into a slog fitting to follow the mayhem of the power play.
Raina’s sixty-two from fifty balls was only surpassed in class by Dhoni who reached his century with two sixes and then, followed it with a third in celebration.
By the time, Johnson flagged in intimidation and picked up the final two wickets of Dhoni and Raina, two good catches by young Tim Paine who also effected a run rate in the same last over,India had gone past the 350 mark, which was made possible largely because of the established batsmen taking the powerplay early and giving Australia more than enough headaches through the overs to finish on 354 for seven, the highest total by an Indian team against Australia in ODIs.