True to his reputation as one of the game’s greatest finishers, Dhoni struck 23 runs in the last over of the innings, bowled by paceman Chris Woakes, who had done reasonably well until then, conceding 48 runs in nine overs. The first delivery was dispatched for a six, with Dhoni making room and heaving the ball over backward square leg. A couple of boundaries followed before the captain struck a six over midwicket, sending the already excited fans into a tizzy .
A little while earlier, when Dhoni walking out to bat in the 42nd over after Ambati Rayudu retired having struck a fine century, excitement reached fever pitch. The security personnel had some sprinting to do in order to catch hold of a fan who had run on to the pitch to touch Dhoni’s feet.
The match provided an ideal platform for the likes of opener Shikhar Dhawan and allrounder Yuvraj Singh to get into the groove before they take on the same opposition in a three-match ODI series starting in Pune on Jan 15. The duo made the most of the opportunity, scoring 63 and 56 respectively.
