Dhoni changed his game to last longer: Gavaskar

Posted on Jul 03, 2009 at 10:27 | Updated Jul 03, 2009 at 20:30 Comment 4 CommentsEmail Print


Mumbai: Indian batting great Sunil Gavaskar feels the change in captain MS Dhoni's approach in batting is an effort to sustain himself in international cricket.

Delivering the first Dilip Sardesai Memorial Lecture here on Thursday, Gavaskar felt that Dhoni's transition as a batsman was nothing to be concerned about.

"As a spectator you want to see him as a dasher because you want to get your money's worth," he said. "But there is also the longevity factor. Dhoni is perhaps cautious in his approach but he is working hard on his batting."

Dhoni, who established himself as a hard-hitting batsman, now prefers to play the sheet-anchor role with the presence of stroke-makers around him.

Gavaskar, who served as chairman, cricket at ICC before quitting his role to focus on his media career, felt Test cricket remained the pinnacle of the sport but didn't offer any comment on the ICC's effort to shorten the Test game to four days.

"If you take a look, most Test matches are giving results in four or four-and-a-half days," he said. Probably that's why they have mooted this idea. I'm sure Test cricket has a place of its own. The players too realise the importance of doing well in Tests."

Moving his focus to the domestic game, Gavaskar didn't think the Deodhar Trophy had been scrapped permanently by the BCCI and that it was due to the IPL.

"I don’t think it's due to the IPL," he said. "There is so much of international cricket - the Champions League T20, Sri Lanka's visit and the tour of Bangladesh - I'm sure it will be back."

Post a comment

Log in with CricketNext ID.

Log in with Facebook ID .

Ads by Google

  • India vs South Africa, 1st Test
  • India gear up for Proteas
  • India's greatest spinners
  • Indian players arrive in Nagpur
  • Board President's XI vs South Africans
  • South Africa begin training for tough India series
  • India vs Bangladesh, 2nd Test
  • India practise ahead of second Test, Dhaka
  • Prince Wlliams, Brett Lee play cricket
  • Modi and his IPL angels
  • Eleven buys of IPL III auction
  • Top draws at the IPL auction
  • India vs Bangladesh, first Test, Chittagong
  • India change into Test mode
  • Ranji Trophy: Mumbai's winning moments
  • Star cricketers light up tennis event
  • Dhaka tri-series final, India vs Sri Lanka
  • India, Lanka sweat it out
  • India vs Bangladesh, triseries
  • Sri Lanka vs India, tri-series