Conversations about Dhoni

 We were watching the CSK vs Mumbai Indians match yesterday. Both teams are at the bottom of the table - CSK won one game and MI has not won a single game yet which is getting to be very embarrassing. The match seemed to go CSKs' way initially (Ishant Kishen is on ULP after that bid) and then MI's way as MI's bowlers, specially the young kid Hritik and tightened the middle overs and Sams kept getting wickets. When Jadeja got out it looked like the match was over. Singles here and there, MSD knocking them around, taking singles as calmly as always.

'CKS is gone,' said I, unable to hold my judgment. 'No way they're going to climb out of this hole. MSD is simply knocking around and they have a lot of runs (I think their asking rate was 12 runs an over then)'.

Then Pretorius came and there were some short conversations with MSD and then Pretorius hit a six here and a four there and got 22 runs in 14 balls and kept them in the place. Last over was approaching and Dhoni just about hit a boundary to third man.Some 17 runs were required or something like that. Two balls with Dhoni off strike. Then a ball in the slot and it went straight back over for six. Suddenly it came to 10 in 3 and then a boundary again (don't remember where) and then a two and then a boundary placed perfectly behind four.

Big lesson. Just hold yourself and stay deep. That's all Dhoni does - stay till the end. The longer he stays without overthinking it, the more the bowlers overthink, and provide opportunities for him to score. Its something we could do in our lives. Just show up and stay till the end without overthinking. Take it as it comes until then. Don't say anything, don't do anything funny. 

Wait. Wait. Wait.

Like Kevin Costner tells Andy Garcia in The Untouchables. The moment will appear.

Then SMG said - MSD makes them bowl to his strengths.

I wondered how anyone can do that. One can do that when one has a thinking pattern that is not thinking the worst options - but perhaps the best. It's almost as if he's thinking in his head - this ball will be here (and not this ball will be unplayable) and he's getting into that position. 

More on this later. But big lesson - wait, wait till the end.