MS Dhoni and Sachin Tendulkar combine to trick Shahid Afridi; video explodes online: WATCH

Former India captain MS Dhoni is considered a tactical genius by many fans. The 2011 World Cup-winning captain has on several occasions outfoxed the opposition with his street smartness. The wicketkeeper-batsman showcased how brilliantly he could read the game during an ODI fixture between arch-rivals India and Pakistan in 2007 at Guwhati. Shahid Afridi, who was looking in stunning form on the day, was left red-faced as he had to take the long walk back because of Dhoni's clever ploy.

When MS Dhoni and Sachin Tendulkar outwitted Shahid Afridi 

The incident took place when India and Pakistan met in the first match of their five-match ODI series in 2007. The Pakistan team was batting first and they were off to a positive start. Explosive batter Shahid Afridi had the platform set and he had the important task of helping his side finish with a flurry. With Dhoni tossing the ball to part-time spinner Sachin Tendulkar, it was evident that the Pakistani batsman would look to accelerate in the over. 

The right-hander stepped down the crease and smashed a boundary through the cover region on the second delivery of the over. Speculating that the player will once again use his feet to counter Sachin Tendulkar's ball, the Indian wicketkeeper stuck his hand out, thus indicating the spinner to bowl wide of the crease on the offside. Unaware of the ploy, Afridi once again danced down the wicket, only to be stumped out. The player had to walk back after scoring 31 runs from 32 balls. The particular dismissal has also given birth to a number of Shahid Afridi memes online.

Video source: International Desi YouTube

Sachin Tendulkar on MS Dhoni sidelining him during his farewell Test 

The two cricketing legends are known to share an amazing camaraderie both on and off the field. While speaking on Oaktree Sports’ Show Breakfast with Champions in May 2018, Sachin Tendulkar had revealed how MS Dhoni had not allowed him to be a part of the team's huddle during his last-ever Test match. The batting maestro had mentioned that Dhoni had not given him the reason why he was not included in the huddle.

The champion batter added that he had gotten a hint that his teammates were planning to do something special for him in his final international appearance.  As soon as the final West Indies wicket fell in the match, Sachin Tendulkar was carried around the ground by several of his teammates on their shoulders. The bonding with the players was then followed by an emotional speech by him at the presentation ceremony.

In the same show, the 'Master Blaster' had also stated that he was very much impressed with the Ranchi-born cricketer's cricketing brain. Sachin Tendulkar cited an example by saying that whenever he was stationed at slips, next to MS Dhoni, he used to interact with the wicketkeeper about different field placements. Tendulkar said that during such interactions, he learned that the wicketkeeper “thinks differently” and was an ideal person to lead Team India in the future. In fact, these Sachin Tendulkar on MS Dhoni comments corroborated the fact that it was the legend who recommended the BCCI to make Dhoni India's captain after Rahul Dravid resigned from the post in mid-2007.

Sachin Tendulkar stats in international cricket 

The Sachin Tendulkar stats in international cricket are something that one can only dream of. Sachin Tendulkar's stats include his 100 international centuries out of which he scored 51 in Tests. The Sachin Tendulkar centuries count also include his 49 tons in ODIs. Sachin Tendulkar called it quits from international cricket in 2013 after scoring 15,921 runs in 200 Test matches at an average of 54.04 and 18,426 runs in 463 ODIs at an average of 44.83. Tendulkar also has 154 ODI and 46 Test wickets to his name. 

Image source: AP / Sachin Tendulkar Twitter