India Vs Australia: MS Dhoni receives a rousing welcome at Melbourne Cricket Ground - Watch

New Delhi, Jan 20: Veteran India cricketer MS Dhoni gets a rousing reception where ever and whenever he walks into the middle. The Jharkhand cricketer has been one of the most loved Indian cricketers in the current team which is studded with the likes Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma, et al.

The cricketer who is fondly given the title of 'Thala' never gets short of supporters and the third ODI between India and Australia was no different.

A video is doing the rounds on social media in which ecstatic fans in stands are getting hysteric watching Dhoni 'shadow practising' in the dressing room at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. The video goes on to record the chants of 'Dhoni-Dhoni' as the iconic India cricketer stepped outside the dressing room and headed towards the ground. It felt as if Dhoni was walking outside to bat on Indian soil and not abroad.

To many, the video gave goosebumps and reminded of the iconic knock during the ICC Cricket World Cup final in 2011 at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai.

Watch the video:

Believe me,
This is Melbourne, not Wankhede! Goosebumps Guaranteed🇮🇳💙@msdhoni @SaakshiSRawat

Courtesy : Madhavi Ravi #AUSvIND #MSDhoni #Dhoni pic.twitter.com/AYJZpMJOEA

— MS Dhoni Fans Official (@msdfansofficial) January 19, 2019

The 37-year-old who bagged the man of the series award for his sensational batting display against Australia in the three-match ODI series. Dhoni slammed three consecutive fifties in the series with two of them resulting in his team's win.

In the third and deciding ODI, Dhoni played an unbeaten knock of 87 runs off 114 deliveries and helped India chase down a tricky total of 231 runs and seal the series. With his knock, Dhoni proved the naysayers wrong and all those who questioned his spot in the Indian side.

Former Australia captain Ian Chappell still considers the World Cup-winning former skipper as the "best finisher" in the 50-over format.

Dhoni was recently awarded the Man of the series for his match-winning knocks which helped India win their maiden ODI series in Australia. Chappell saluted the former India skipper's nerve and longevity.

"Nobody has Dhoni's nerve for finishing off victories. Many times I've thought, "He's left it too late this time", only to be amazed as he produced a couple of powerful shots to bring India a nail-biting victory," Chappell wrote in his column in ESPNcricinfo.

"His outward calm is no illusion since his tactical adeptness in these situations is proof his brain continues to work perfectly."

Drawing a comparison with Michael Bevan, who is considered to be one of the greatest finishers of the game, Chappell said Dhoni has surpassed the former Australian number six.

"Where Bevan finished matches with fours, Dhoni does so with sixes. The one area - running between wickets - where you'd expect the fleet-footed Bevan to have an advantage is debatable because even at age 37, Dhoni is among the quickest in the game," he wrote.

"Even allowing for improved bats and the advantage of playing T20 cricket, statistically Dhoni is superior to Bevan. There can be no argument - Dhoni is the best ODI finisher."

(With inputs from PTI)