Updated July 2nd, 2019 at 14:21 IST
World Cup 2019: Amid criticism, MS Dhoni gets support from bowler who foiled him. Here's what England pacer Liam Plunkett has to say
England pacer Liam Plunkett, the bowler responsible for keeping Dhoni from firing all cylinders in the clash against India on June 30, came out in support of the former Indian skipper after Dhoni faced severe criticism for not being able to finish the game for India.
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England pacer Liam Plunkett, the bowler responsible for keeping Dhoni from firing all cylinders in the clash against India on June 30, came out in support of the former Indian skipper after Dhoni faced severe criticism for not being able to finish the game for India.
Liam Plunkett said in the post-match press briefing that a player like Dhoni can never be underestimated. “I just think in the next game he (Dhoni) can go smashing. I think you can never underestimate Dhoni. His talent stands out as how good player he is,” Plunkett told reporters at the post-match press conference.
England set a mammoth target of 338 for India with the help of Jason Roy(66), Jonny Bairstow (111) and Ben Stokes (79) as Indian bowlers were hammered all around the park. Mohammed Shami had a good day with the ball as he picked up a fifer, however, too many runs were conceded by the Indian bowling line-up. In reply, Kohli's men manage to make just 306 in 50 overs, although they had five wickets remaining.
England ended India's undefeated streak in the ongoing tournament, with a comprehensive 31-run victory over the Men in Orange. Despite vice-captain Rohit Shara's ton and skipper Virat Kohli's fourth consecutive half-century, India failed to make it past the line. MS Dhoni and Kedar Jadhav were at the crease during the last five overs when India needed 71 runs. The duo failed to go past 39 runs, earning flak from the cricketing fraternity including Sourav Ganguly and Sachin Tendulkar.
“(Rohit and Virat’s batting was) similar to us. We started off really well. The new ball was the time to bat as it was going to get tougher later on. It was hard to hit. The best thing about holding our nerves was we don’t go into our shell. We express ourselves and play positively. We know we are a good team. When we are at our best we can beat any team,” Plunkett said.
India will face Bangladesh in their penultimate game of the group stage on 2 July at Edgbaston, Birmingham, where they will hope to bounce back from the loss and secure 2 points to book themselves a berth in the semi-finals. England will take on New Zealand in the last match of the group stage on 3 July at Riverside Ground, Chester-le-Street.
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Published July 2nd, 2019 at 13:18 IST