Asian Image Sport
Dhoni accepts error
10:51am Wednesday 15th February 2012
India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni played the calmest of straight bats to the potential storm of a five-ball over furore after yesterday's dramatic Commonwealth Bank Series tie against Sri Lanka at Adelaide Oval.
The 30th over of India's innings, bowled by Lasith Malinga, comprised only five balls and in an enthralling match which not only went down the wire, but finished dead level, the missing delivery - with in-form top-scorers Gautam Gambhir and Dhoni at the crease at the time - could have been crucial.
Dhoni acknowledged it but refused to be drawn into complaining about it for fear of courting controversy.
"(Coach) Duncan (Fletcher) told me there was a five-ball over," Dhoni said.
"We have seen in the past. We've bowled an over and almost changed sides but the third umpire interferes and says you have to bowl one more ball in this over.
"Usually that's what has happened in the past.
"It didn't happen in this game - I don't know why. Not much can be done now."
Dhoni did not accept that the errant early-over call, which meant Sri Lanka faced 300 legitimate deliveries compared to India's 299, had a definitive impact on the result.
"A dot ball could have happened," he said.
"It's done and dusted. We could create a big fuss out of it, but what's the point?
"It's like a controversy that's really standing right on the edge, just about to happen. We don't really want to create a controversy out of it."
Dhoni drew a comparison between the fact such an error could be made in this day and age with so much technology to hand with India's contentious reluctance to utilise the decision review system in Test cricket, believing human error in all facets is part of cricket.
"If it can happen, I don't know why people can back the DRS so much," Dhoni said.
"We have seen people being really happy with DRS in one series when it goes in their favour and then it doesn't go in their favour, they're quite unhappy about it.
"I'm quite happy with the two umpires in the middle, the third and fourth umpires, the match referee and the scorer... if that (ball-counting error) still happened, it's better off accepting it, because as humans we are bound to make mistakes."
Dhoni intimated his side will not pursue the matter further.
"What's the point?" he said. "It's a controversy that's right there - we don't want to get into anything like that.
"We just want to stick to the result that has happened."
"Hopefully it won't be replicated, not with us or any other side."
For the second time in three days at this ground, Dhoni (58 not out) was the man for the 11th-hour crisis, avoiding defeat with a calm run chase under lights, albeit on this occasion coming up with a tie and not the victory he piloted his side to against Australia on Sunday.