Dhoni gets down to Ravi Shastri’s class in Dambulla

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Debasis Sen, Dambulla:
Former India captain MS Dhoni along with the ODI players who reached here in the morning practiced today at the Rangiri International Stadium ahead of the first ODI on Sunday. The one day players reached straight to Dambulla from Colombo and did not waste any opportunity to train in the evening. Team India coach Ravi Shastri along with the other support staffs was also present at the nets. Also present at the net session were Manish Pandey, Kedar Jadhav, Shardul Thakur, Yuzuvendra Chaval and Jasprit Bumrah.

The former India captain will look to make a mark in the five match ODI’s. Although he has nothing to prove really, but MSK Prasad’s comment will no doubt spur him on. The selection committee chairman made a controversial comment on Dhoni few days back in Kandy when he said that his committee has certain plans for Dhoni. He also went on to add that Dhoni is no more an automatic choice in the ODI scheme of things.

The players who featured in the test series reached Dambulla in the evening. The entire focus at the practice session was on MSD today as he looked at ease in the nets. The former India captain was also seen having a session with Shastri after the practice session. Both were seen discussing on how to play a particular stroke. Dhoni first faced some throw downs from Sridhar and Bangar before moving on to the next net where he faced the likes of Bumrah and Shardul Thakur. He next went to the final nets where Yuzuvendra Chahal was rolling his arms along with manager Sunil Subramanian.

Later while leaving the nets the former captain casually said to one of the scribes present that nowadays media have all the information referring to a report that seniors like Yuvraj Singh and Suresh Raina has failed the Yo Yo test in NCA.

The first ODI will be played at the Rangiri International Stadium situated in Dambulla, which is some 2 and half hour’s drive from Kandy. The stadium was built in a record time of 167 days.  Although the first ODI was played way back in 2001, but the International Cricket Council did not allow any further ODI’s till 2003 following the poor floodlights system.