You can't compare Kohli and Dhoni, says India's bowling coach
Indian cricket team bowling coach Bharat Arun stated that it is not right to compare skipper Virat Kohli and veteran wicket-keeper batsman MS Dhoni. The topic was raised after Dhoni struggled in India's match against Afghanistan in the ongoing ICC World Cup 2019. MS received a lot of backlash for not showing positive intent. Notably, MS replied back with a brisk knock against Windies.
What happened against Afghanistan when India batted?
When Virat Kohli got out in the 31st over, India's score read 135/4. From there on, Dhoni and Kedar Jadhav added 57 runs for the fifth wicket. The issue was that the batsmen consumed 84 balls and were tied by the Afghan spinners. Dhoni managed a 52-ball 28 and was dismissed by Rashid Khan. India never quite got going and scored 224/8.
Dhoni and Jadhav were criticized by maestro Tendulkar
"I felt slightly disappointed, it could have been much better. I was also not happy with the partnership between Kedar and Dhoni, it was very slow. There was no positive intent," Tendulkar told India Today.
Kohli scored a positive 67 against the Afghans
Virat Kohli was the top run-scorer with a knock of 67 against the Afghans. He consumed just 63 deliveries on a sluggish surface at the Rose Bowl in Southampton. The rest of the Indian line-up struggled. But to be honest, Kohli is the best batsman in the world and it's futile to compare others with him. Bharat Arun pointed out the same.
Comparison with Kohli not right: Arun
"I think Virat Kohli is probably the number one batsman across all formats. So I think to compare anybody to the way he plays is not right," Arun said ahead of India's CWC 19 match against West Indies.
Situation demanded MSD, Jadhav to play wisely
Dhoni and Jadhav did lack the intent, but the situation demanded them to play wisely. Credit needs to be given to the Afghans for bowling with a plan. The partnership did ensure India get those extra runs in the end and helped them win. One can argue that Dhoni was once again unfairly given the stick. He has been excellent this year.
Situation not much of a concern for us: Arun
"Had we probably lost a wicket at that stage (when Dhoni and Kedar Jadhav were batting), then things would have turned out differently. So I don't think it's too much of a concern for us right now," Arun said.
