Recollecting memories about his playing days under the then India captain MS Dhoni, former spinner Pragyan Ojha said that the veteran wicket-keeper batsman ‘made things easy and simple’ for him and other bowlers in the team as well.
As per Ojha, several bowlers including him were benefitted from Dhoni’s on-field advices and his field placement was also crucial in picking many wickets during that period.
“I think Dhoni used to make things very simple. If you see all the spinners who have played along with him or under him, they used to enjoy his tips. He used to make things very easy for us. As a bowler, you have to think about your own bowling, you have to think about your fielding, you have to think about the batsman, you have to think about the conditions,” said Ojha.
“Dhoni was one who used to take one part out of your system, like the field placement or maybe how the wicket is behaving. These are the things which he would help you out with. That is the reason why it was less of a burden on a bowler and that is what I enjoyed,” he added.
Dhoni became popular as ‘Captain Cool’ for his calm demeanour on the field. As per Ojha, Dhoni made sure that the pressure was never too much for the side at any point of the match.
“The best part of Dhoni was the way he used to make sure that the pressure doesn’t come to the bowlers. That is something which really helped me and other bowlers during his tenure as a captain. When a young person is playing, the ‘Captain Cool’ makes sure the pressure doesn’t mount on him. That is something which really helps you,” said Ojha.