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Message: <blockquote data-quote="kudos_utopia" data-source="post: 5771978" data-attributes="member: 90660">Is it okay that Dhoni should play at number 5? IIIWhat's equally important is the manner in which Dhoni scores his runs. In his early years he was known to biff the ball around, but in his later avatar he has transformed into a far more multi-dimensional cricketer who is comfortable nudging the ball around into gaps and taking most of his runs in singles and twos, which is perfect for a batsman at five. In 2009, Dhoni has batted at No. 5 in 10 out of 18 innings, and his overall stats for the year indicate he has done very well indeed. The most striking feature of his batting this year has been his exceptionally low boundary percentage - he has hit only 55 fours and 13 sixes this year, which converts into less than 34% of his total runs. It's easily the lowest among all Indian top-order batsmen this year. In the match against Australia in Nagpur, Dhoni found the ideal partner in Gambhir. They added 119 in 114 balls, but only 24 of those runs came in boundaries, with each batsman hitting three fours. Meanwhile, they allowed only 35 out of the 114 deliveries to go scoreless, and nudged the ball around for 62 singles. Not surprisingly, Dhoni and Gambhir have the lowest boundary percentages among Indian batsmen this year. On the other hand, the numbers for Virender Sehwag make very interesting reading. Despite opening the batting, his dot-ball percentage for the year is a ridiculously low 39.62 - with the field up close during the first few overs, you'd expect that number to be much higher. Combine that with his high boundary percentage, and it's clear how he has been scoring at nearly eight-and-a-half runs per over this year. The Man-of-the-Match award in Nagpur was Dhoni's 12th in ODIs, but his first for a batting display at the No. 5 slot. Former players may have their opinions, but looking at the manner in which Dhoni has taken to the task of batting at five, it's unlikely he'll relinquish it and move up the order anytime soon. </blockquote>

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