World Cup 2019: Dhoni, Jadhav criticised on Twitter for lack of effort

Mahendra Singh Dhoni reacts after being hit on the thumb while batting during the 2019 Cricket World Cup group stage match between England and India at Edgbaston in Birmingham, central England, on June 30, 2019. Photo: AFP

Indian batsmen MS Dhoni and Kedar Jadhav drew flak from Twiterrati for their batting performance in the last 5 overs against England in Birmingham on Sunday. England beat India by 31 runs to hand Virat Kohli and his team their first loss in the 2019 World Cup.

India looked on track in the middle overs while chasing England's massive total of 337 with big contributions by Rohit Sharma who hit his third century of the tournament and Virat Kohli who notched up his fifth fifty in a row. Cameos by Rishab Pant and Hardik Pandya set up the game nicely as India required 71 runs off the last 5 overs with MS Dhoni and Kedar Jadhav in the middle. But the two middle-order batters could only score 40 runs and India lost the match by 31 runs.

Dhoni and Jadhav struggled to bring out the big shots which were the need of the hour and resorted to singles and doubles. The duo could manage to hit only three fours and one six in the last 30 balls. The defeat drew a lot of criticism from fans, former player and cricket experts who were severe especially on Dhoni for failing to accelerate at the end.

Dhoni had been under fire for his slow batting display against Afghanistan in one of the previous games. Indian batting legend Sachin Tendulkar also expressed disappointment over Dhoni's batting in the game against Afghanistan. And when India was in a similar situation against West Indies at Old Trafford, Dhoni batted in the same vein but in the final over of the innings, he struck two sixes and a four to give a massive boost to the Indian total.

Also read: World Cup 2019: Only runs, wickets and catches matter

Mahendra Singh Dhoni's batting strike rate has been a topic of debate in the World Cup 2019. However, the former Indian World Cup winning captain has found support from his teammates, including skipper Virat Kohli and premiere pacer Jasprit Bhumrah backing the glover.

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