Dhoni’s Plan Boomeranged to Help Shai Hope and the Windies

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It was a rollercoaster day all throughout as both the teams had their chances and at some point or the other both had their opportunities to win the game.

Cricket news: The second ODI between India and the Windies ended in a stalemate

Because of all that excitement and the fortunes-shifting, many believed that the tie was a fair result. But amidst all these it was actually Dhoni’s plan which Windies batsman Shai Hope was hoping to be executed and eventually it helped the visitors.

It was the last over of the innings and Umesh Yadav had the job to defend 13 runs. The first ball was a yorker and Hope could take only a single run. Despite reaching his century previously, it was nearly three overs that Hope had not hit a boundary and the hosts were building pressure.

Umesh tried to bowl again on the pads of Ashley Nurse, but it eventually deflected off the back leg and went for four leg-byes. The next ball was a leg stump yorker off which Nurse took two runs and in the next ball he got a single by reverse-scooping the ball to third man.

With seven needed off two deliveries, Hope missed a full-toss and managed to get just a couple by pushing the ball to deep mid-wicket. With last ball coming up, Windies needed five off it which meant Hope had to hit a six.

The field was changed in the last ball as third man was brought in and point fielder was pushed to deep backward point. There was already a sweeper cover and a long-off. The field was set for a full wide ball and according to Kuldeep Yadav, it was wicketkeeper Dhoni’s plan.

“I’m too young to know,” Kuldeep said when asked if he knew why a new plan was implemented. “I’ve played only 30 games and Mahi bhai has played 300 games. He’s got more experience than me. It happens. He’s more experienced than us. At that time he thought it and he did it.”

The new plan did not work at all as Hope carved the full wide ball past the freshly placed fielder at deep backward point and earned his team a draw.

“I must say that I hoped he would bowl to the field,” Hope said. “I knew a wide yorker was coming. I got enough bat on it to be able to get it to the boundary. I was trying to get more bat on it so it would go for a six and we would win. It didn’t happen on the day. But one positive is we didn’t lose the game.”

Hope was previously struggling to connect the ball. He was planning on getting two and was hoping the big-hitter Nurse would get the odd boundary. However India defended pretty well as they conceded just 13 runs in three overs before the final over.