MS Dhoni returns home after successful tours of Australia and New Zealand

MS Dhoni was spotted at the Mumbai airport after returning from the tour of New Zealand (AP Photo)

HIGHLIGHTS

• MS Dhoni and Kedar Jadhav were spotted at the Mumbai airport as Team India returned home from New Zealand
• Dhoni was named man-of-the-series in the ODIs against Australia
• India will next take on Australia in a 2-match T20I series and 5-match ODI series from February 24

MS Dhoni and Kedar Jadhav were spotted at the Mumbai airport after returning home from successful tours of Australia and New Zealand. India were away for three months - in that time, they drew a T20I series in Australia before winning historic bialteral Test and ODI series in that country.

In New Zealand, India won the ODI series 4-1 but lost the T20I series 1-2. Virat Kohli had been rested for the final two ODIs and the entire T20I series against New Zealand. India will next take on Australia in 2 T20Is and 5 ODIs from February 24.

Overall, India won three series, lost one and drew one on their tour Down Under. No Indian team has ever had such success in Australia and New Zealand in the past. While the Test series triumph was highlighted by Cheteshwar Pujara, Rishabh Pant, Jasprit Bumrah and the rest of the pace battery, MS Dhoni found form after a horror 2018 to script a 2-1 series win for India in the ODI series against Australia.

Last year, Dhoni managed only 275 runs from 20 ODIs without scoring a fifty. In Australia, Dhoni hit three fifties from three ODIs and won the man-of-the-match series. Dhoni was criticised for his slow 51 in the first ODI in Sydney but he bounced back with an aggressive 55 not in Adelaide before scoring 87 not out in the series decider in Melbourne.

In New Zealand, MS Dhoni sat out of two ODIs due to an injury but made his mark with a quick 48 not out in Mount Maunganui.

Besides, MS Dhoni was once again instrumental in guiding the Indian spinners. Yuzvendra Chahal, Kuldeep Yadav and Kedar Jadhav bowled well at different stages of the tours of Australia and New Zealand.

Jadhav, in fact, said he followed Dhoni's instructions blindly. In the ODI series, Kedar Jadhav made a major impact with his part-time off-spin. However, he did not play any of the three T20Is against the Black Caps as India wanted to try out Vijay Shankar in the top-order.

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