New Delhi: Former Australian wicket-keeper batsman Adam Gilchrist said that Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s experience shouldn’t be undervalued and that the Indian team gains a lot more from him than it knows.
While interacting with the PTI on the sidelines of an event, the Australian legend said, “I think they (Indian team) probably benefit more than they know by his (Dhoni) experience and him just being around. I wonder whether people around undervalue his experience and calmness that MS brings to the change room.”
A slambang wicketkeeper batsman himself, Gilchrist felt that Dhoni could fit into any position in the batting order, from Nos 3 to 7.
“I think he (Dhoni) is so versatile that he could possibly play anywhere between Nos 3 to 7 and still have an impact. So, this Indian team is full of options and flexibility and MS just adds to that as he has throughout his career,” he said.
He further added, “I am not aware of his statistics for the past 12 months or so but I don’t think he has let the team down when he has been asked to do a job. I love Virat (Kohli) and all the Indian players’ passion and aggression. It’s always nice to be balanced up by some experience and wise head.”
Gilchrist also felt that there wasn’t quite a proper replacement for the hard-hitting wicketkeeper batsman in India’s 50-over setup.
He said, “Dhoni will know if he is keen enough and committed enough (to play the 2019 World Cup). Whether he is prepared to make the sacrifices to be there.”
Elaborating further, he said, “It’s also the case of whether someone is around the corner to replace MS, who can add more value than he can. I can’t answer that as I don’t know. I know there are some real exciting keeper-batsmen around but I don’t know whether they can add more value than MS. The World Cup is still 18 months away and a lot can happen between that.”
“I believe that MS will make the right decision for Indian cricket. There is plenty of time but don’t undervalue the experience that he brings,” he added.
Indian skipper Virat Kohli has been in some form of late. Recently, the elegant right-hander surpassed Australian legend Ricky Ponting’s tally of 30 ODI tons and also became the fastest to reach the 9000-run mark in 50-over cricket.
Gilchrist felt that all batting records are in danger if he keeps on going at the same pace, “I think every batting statistic is in danger across all formats. It’s extraordinary. He is a world-class batsman. Even if he doesn’t break all the batting records, he will certainly get close to all of them.”