Just a couple of days ago, India was inching towards a famous victory over Australia in Adelaide but just as everyone looked set to start the celebrations, the hosts turned the tide with their never-say-never attitude and took a 1-0 lead in the series.
Virat Kohli was at his dazzling best, with Wriddhiman Saha at the other end showing his big-hitting prowess. But, at the crucial juncture, India first lost Saha and then, importantly, Kohli and lost the tie by 48 runs.
India tried everything they could have while chasing a colossal total with Kohli leading from the front, but at crunch situation they missed the services of MS Dhoni. Dhoni has been India’s batting pillar for more than a decade now, be it in limited-overs format or Test cricket.
If there is any player that knows how to deal with pressure, it is Dhoni and he has proved it time and again. The touring party dearly missed him when the match was hung in balance, precisely 60-40 in India’s favour, and at that time the visitors needed a cool and composed head in the middle, which they missed.
“Having (MS) Dhoni in a situation like this would have helped India because he keeps the scoreboard ticking,” former India skipper Sunil Gavaskar said. “He and Kohli would have looked for the big shots as well. But in cricket, there’s no place for ifs and buts.”