AB De Villiers was never apathetic about the idea of striking fear in his opponents whenever he wielded the willow. One cannot become the only batter who has a strike rate above 100 in ODI among 29 middle order batters who has more than 5000 runs without being a little intimidating. On the other hand, MS Dhoni personified an impregnable fortress which destroyed its enemies during their fatigued state after their futile invasion attempts. Either way, both of them has been the savants for their respective teams in ODI cricket. They outmatch their fellow middle order batters by an enormous margin when the statistics are laid out.
The Numbers, Technique and Supremacy
Being a middle order batter is hard. You don’t have the advantage of powerplay as 5 fielders are scattered around the ground to watch the ball like hawks. Once you are out, your team’s chances are also out. But such obstacles only inspired Dhoni to bludgeon the ball for a better team total. Meanwhile the Proteas were safeguarded by an “alien” which is the accurate definition for a man with insane batting numbers.
If you divide the runs scored by a batsman with the number of innings he was dismissed in his whole career, you will get his batting average. The higher the number you get, the harder he is to cross. When batting at positions 4 to 7, M.S Dhoni has a staggering count of 80 not outs under his belt. This is accompanied by 9631 runs at an average of 49.13. A few of the factors which make numbers like this plausible are grit and longevity.
Josh Hazlewood is one of the current sensations of Australian Cricket who is often acknowledged as the “Modern day adaptation of Glen Mcgrath.” He once mentioned that ‘I am pretty happy that AB de Villiers has retired from international cricket.’ Hazzy was responding to Instagram stories about several topics which also included the toughest batsman he has ever bowled to. The Carribean bowlers who were unfortunate enough to face his carnage in 2015 will concur to this statement without hesitation. Because the inhumanity AB showed when he achieved the feats of securing both the fastest fifty and hundred will be tattooed on their brain. Either of these milestones has not been thwarted in 9 years.
ABD has 21 tons throughout his appearances in middle order. His contender is Ross Taylor with 19 tons from 191 innings. Even prolific batters as Yuvraj Singh, Mahela Jayawardane and Eon Morgan strived more than 200 opportunities to top this list. None of them were not able to usurp the alien who established his supremacy at the top.
Meanwhile, MSD adopted a different method to demolish his rivals. His 139*(121) vs Australia at Mohali 2013 can be a fine example of his ability to change gears. His 50 came from 77 balls. In the remaining 44 balls he chose violence as 89 runs emerged of it. Dhoni abandoned his attacking style of batting and the No. 3 position he excelled in for one huge onus – Captaincy. Ergo, his 113*(125) at Chennai 2013 can be the embodiment of the phrase “captain’s knock.” He was reeling on 34*(78) at a point. After his first boundary on the next ball, the cricketing fraternity saw one of the greatest ODI knocks of all time. The sight of Dhoni puffing and panting by the end of that innings is unforgettable to many. He won the Man of the Match for his mastery that day even though in a losing cause.
ABD played mind games with the bowlers with his batting style. During his stance, he played a staring contest with the bowler with his steady head by guaranteeing him defeat. He valued playing the ball late and relying more on tackling deliveries by playing close to the body, or as per himself: “playing inside a box.” But Abraham Benjamin De Villiers was a name which existed beyond the confines of copybook shots. His trigger movements were actions performed by an expert and it was a herculean task for other players execute. Even though AB has elaborated on his technique, his alien instincts played a huge role in clearing the boundary.
Dhoni equally valued rotating the strike and unleashing carnage. He had incredible ability in converting singles into doubles. Plus, if you bowl a bad ball to Dhoni, that’s bad for you. Because you’ll only see that ball again on the roof. When Dhoni plants himself on strike during the last over of a white ball game, the bowler’s heart pounds heavily. Because, approaching a giant whose known for his unparallelled power especially during the final overs might not be something they eagerly await. If you bowl a yorker, he digs it out and if it’s a bouncer he dispatches it far.
Dhoni’s bottom-handed technique is a key catalyst in his power hitting ability. He stands back in the crease during the last overs and clears his front leg to pry out yorkers. This also aided him in anticipating slower deliveries and playing the ball late. His independence on footwork probably puzzled the bowlers because they keenly target batsmen who rely on their feet extensively. Dhoni was more about mustering power by establishing himself on the crease. Steering clear of footwork may have been one of those factors which made MS Dhoni the unbeatable batsman he is.
Highest average in successful run chases by middle order batters in ODIS (Min. 2000 runs):
AB De Villiers: 111 (2005 runs from 42 inns)
MS Dhoni: 91 (2556 runs from 72 innings)
Inzamam Ul Haq: 66 (2060 runs from 56 inns)
M Azharuddin: 61 (2098 runs from 58 inns)
Aravinda De Silva: 60 (2403 runs from 58 inns)
Yuvraj Singh: 52 (2580 runs from 74 inns)
If we tweak around the most not-outs, MSD lead the charts by a huge margin with 44 while no other batter has crossed 35. Meanwhile AB appeared for much fewer games than his contenders and still managed to maintain a mind-boggling average of 111. AB had done lord’s work in creating an impressive balance between his average and strike rate. He delivered his team both consistency and assault on a silver platter. He transformed into a one-of-a-kind player and remained unmatchable until the sensation named Virat Kohli arrived as a fit contender.
Dhoni’s batting in his initial stages was a lot similar to this. Before undertaking captaincy, his career strike rate used to seesaw between 95-100 range with an average of above 45. After Rahul Dravid handed him the reigns on September 2008, that long haired lad was perfectly replaced by a brisk and responsible clutch anchorer. Still, he topped the charts of ICC ODI rankings for years. He prevailed as a batsman adaptable to any position with excellent numbers from no 3 to no. 7.
In a nutshell
There are two words which would fit the descriptions of both these stalwarts. It would be rigidity and audacity. ABD made himself an asset for the teams he represented as a rare combination of consistency and intrepidity. In spite of all the criticism, Dhoni remained cool as a cucumber while constantly delivering for his team. Both of these batsmen transcended great lengths in ODI cricket while making a mockery of their contenders.
