3 times MS Dhoni was at the other end when an Indian ODI batting record was made

MS Dhoni, despite his form of late, has been one of the biggest reasons for India's success in all formats of the game over the last decade and a half. The colossus of India's ODI batting for quite some time now, Dhoni has been the rock in the middle order and one of India's most versatile wicketkeeper batsmen over the years.

With just months to go for the 2019 World Cup, Dhoni's form with the bat might be a cause for concern, and his exclusion from T20I squads against West Indies and Australia have raised eyebrows, but the experience that he brings to the table cannot be missed, especially going into a big tournament.

He has invariably been at the other end during major Indian batting milestones in the last 10 years, from the times of Yuvraj Singh's six sixes, to Sachin Tendulkar's 50th Test ton and Suresh Raina and KL Rahul's T20I centuries.

Here's looking at the three times Dhoni was at the other end during a major batting record in ODIs:

#Virat Kohli's 10,000th ODI run (2018)

Dhoni was at the other end when Kohli completed 10,000 ODI runs

Kohli, Dhoni's captaincy successor for the Indian team in all three formats, became just the 13th person, and the 5th Indian, to complete 10,000 ODI runs. In the process, he also became the fastest to achieve the feat, taking just 205 innings to get to the mark - Sachin Tendulkar, the next best, took 259 innings.

Dhoni was at the other end when Kohli reached the landmark against the West Indies at Visakhapatnam, a ground he is famous for scoring runs in. The century from Kohli, his 37th overall in ODI, wasn't enough as the match ended in a tie.

In the process, Kohli also became the fastest Indian batsman to score 4000 ODI runs at home - while he took 78 innings, Sachin Tendulkar had taken 95 innings to achieve the mark.

# Sachin's double hundred (2010)

Sachin scored a double hundred in ODIs against South Africa in 2010

Sachin Tendulkar holds most batting records to his name, but, at the age of 36, he became men's one-day cricket's first double centurion, that too against a testing South African bowling attack.

His 147-ball masterclass, studded with 25 fours and three sixes, formed the backbone of India's mammoth total of 401-3.

MS Dhoni was at the other end when Sachin steered a Charl Langeveldt delivery to point and reached the magical mark. For the first time in 35 years, the figure had been breached.

Dhoni himself was in a swashbuckling mood that day, and gave Tendulkar proper support from the other end. He himself ended with 68 runs off 35 balls with 7 fours and four sixes.

The Indian bowlers did their job and Sachin's masterclass ensured that India won the match by a massive margin of 153 runs.

# Rohit Sharma's 209 (2013)

Rohit Sharma's first double century came against Australia

Rohit Sharma's stop-start international career was given a thrust when he was asked to open in ODIs, and the move worked wonders as he has progressed to become one of the top openers of the game today, if not the best.

He has scored as many as three double centuries in ODIs, but the first one came in November 2013 against the Australians. He became only the third batsman in world cricket to score a double century in ODIs, following his teammates Sachin Tendulkar and Virender Sehwag to the exclusive club.

Unsurprisingly, the man at the other end was Dhoni, who scored a stunning 38-ball 62 that gave India the final push and eased pressure off Rohit, who was going at his own pace at the other end. India managed 383 on the board, and despite a counter-attacking hundred from James Faulkner, went on to win the game and seal the series.