Former Chennai Super Kings spinner Shadab Jakati said that Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s game awareness played a crucial role in his side’s first Indian Premier League win in 2010 as the captain plotted Sachin Tendulkar’s dismissal that derailed Mumbai Indian’s run-chase.
CSK lifted their first Indian Premier League trophy during the third edition of the tournament in 2010 after a thrilling 22-run victory over MI in the final held at the DY Patil Stadium, Navi Mumbai. Batting first, Dhoni and Co set a target of 169 and eventually managed to restrict Mumbai Indians to 146/9 to emerge winners.
At one point during the game, captain Sachin Tendulkar had kept Mumbai Indians alive in the chase but after his dismissal, the home team crumbled as they fell short of CSK’s target.
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Recalling that match, former CSK spinner Jakati revealed how captain Dhoni masterminded their victory by getting rid of Tendulkar. Jakati had taken Tendulkar’s wicket in what was to be the turning point of final as the Indian legend fell short of his half-century by two runs.
It was Dhoni’s decision to hold Jakati back for the middle overs keeping Mumbai’s right-handers in mind as it would be tough for them to play against his left-arm spin.
“I had gone for 21 runs in my first two overs. With left-hander Abhishek Nayar batting, Dhoni told me I’d now bowl in the middle overs,” Jakati was quoted as saying by Wisden India.
Nayar had Jakati for two sixes in his first over and he was taken away from the attack during which the left-hander was run out. With 74 needed of the final six overs, Dhoni sent Jakati to bowl against and the Goan bowler did the trick for CSK, dismissing Tendulkar and Saurabh Tiwary in one over.
Mumbai were never able to build a stable partnership after that as they lost their way in the chase.
“[He kept] me for the right-handers – Sachin Tendulkar, Ambati Rayudu and Kieron Pollard. We had done our homework against MI’s right-handers, who were potentially weak against left-arm spinners.”
Jakati explained how Dhoni trusted his instincts in match situations while also allowing bowlers the freedom to formulate their own plans.
“He [Dhoni] did quite a few things. He used to know which bowler to bring on at what time. Basically, he was a captain who knew how to get the best out of the players at the right time,” Jakati said.
“He never attended any bowlers’ meeting. That’s purely because he backs his own instincts and gut feeling at that particular time of the match. He gave us [the] freedom to choose our fields, and if it didn’t work, he’d use his brains. But the first preference was us,” the left-arm spinner added.
Watch the highlights of the 2010 IPL final here:
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