New Zealand pacer Lockie Ferguson has admitted being surprised by the former Indian captain MS Dhoni leaving a ball under crunch situations during the closing stages of the 2019 CWC semi-final match between India and New Zealand.
India lost their second consecutive ICC Cricket World Cup semi-final after MS Dhoni was dismissed for 50 runs off a throw from Martin Guptill in the deep, which found the Indian legend just a few millimetres short of his crease. India eventually lost the game by 18 runs.
MS Dhoni’s viral leave from the 2019 World Cup semi-final
New Zealand pacer Lockie Ferguson, who was part of the World Cup semi-final squad in 2019, admitted being left baffled by MS Dhoni’s sudden leave on the final delivery of his over during the closing stages of the game, when every ball started to seem crucial for them.
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MS Dhoni in that game helped India avoid a collapse as he took them from a struggling 71/5 to 178/6 in 44 overs. Jadeja was the main man, scoring all the runs while he was there; however, Dhoni took charge once the all-rounder was dismissed.
However, Dhoni baffled the bowling side as well as the ICT fans, leaving the final ball of the 45th over after having scored 10 runs in the over, yet India needed 52 runs off 31 balls.
“I can’t remember what they were needing to chase at the time, but I knew they had to score a few runs. The plan was to bowl and see if MS would undercut it, and he left it. So I was surprised because naturally, when you’re bowling, you’re trying to restrict runs, then it’s nice when a batter leaves it,” said Ferguson, recalling the infamous leave, as quoted by Crictracker.
“But I think the next over, the first ball, I tried again, and he just got it over the boundary for six. So the plan almost worked the second time as well. But it was nice to get him out that game and, of course, get across the line in the semi-final,” he added.
India lost two consecutive semi-finals in the World Cups until 2023
India lost two consecutive contests in the biggest stage of cricket, the ICC Cricket World Cup, which has a legacy of over 50 years, having been played for the first time back in 1975. India is only the third nation, alongside Australia and the West Indies, to have won the World title more than once.
For the first time, they won it back in 1983, under Kapil Dev, and followed it with a win 28 years later in 2011 under the legendary white-ball captain MS Dhoni. However, they also missed two World Cup finals, having lost the 2015 semi-final game against Australia and the 2019 semi-final against New Zealand.
MS Dhoni, the captain in the 2015 World Cup, handed the leadership role to Virat Kohli, though he continued with the game until the next World Cup before announcing his retirement. The above-mentioned innings was MS Dhoni’s last in international cricket, as the veteran retired from international cricket following India’s exit from the World Cup.
Ferguson credits Bumrah for wise workload management
New Zealand pacer Lockie Ferguson has hailed Indian management and Jasprit Bumrah for wisely managing the workload of the veteran speedster and has identified it as an ideal example to inspire the next generation of stars.
“I think it’s great. I think it’s really important in this day and age. We seem to be playing a lot of cricket. Look, Jasprit Bumrah had a tough injury last year after the Test matches in Australia.”
“Clearly, he was bowling a lot for his country, trying to win every game for his country. But it does just take its toll on the body. And I think just for it, it’s a very good example for up-and-coming fast bowlers,” said Ferguson.
He continued, “Obviously, he does very well in the park, but he’s learning how to manage his body so he can play as long as he can. And managing those loads is something very close to me and very important, and for all quick bowlers.”
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