4 Indian players who need to prove a point in this ODI series against Australia

#1 MS Dhoni

MS Dhoni has to perform in this series

MS Dhoni is a giant of a cricketer as far as limited overs cricket is concerned. There has not been as effective an ODI cricketer as MS Dhoni in this decade. Batting primarily at no.6 or 7, Dhoni has scored more than 10000 runs at an average of 50.1.

But since 2015, Dhoni's batting graph has taken a dip. His strike rate has also come down significantly. The finisher in MS Dhoni has started to diminish somewhat and as a result, India has to start searching for a new player take on the role of the finisher.

In the year 2017, it seemed as though the MS Dhoni of old was back. He scored 788 runs at an average of 60.62 and batted very aggressively. But unfortunately, he couldn't continue his good run in 2018. which turned out to be one of his worst years in terms of batting.

In 2018, Dhoni has played 20 matches and scored 275 runs at an average of 25, which is way below his career average. With the recent rise of Rishabh Pant, voices are slowly but surely coming out that the youngster should be given the chance in place of MSD.

The positive thing for MS is that he has rightfully got the backing of the skipper and team management. He may not have been contributing with the bat by making some big runs but his contribution from behind the stumps is invaluable. Virat Kohli always looks up to MS in crunch situations and seeks his guidance.

In a recent press conference, India's vice-captain Rohit Sharma said about Dhoni, "Over the years we have seen the kind of presence he has in the dressing room and on the field. With him being around, there's calmness around the group."

MS Dhoni playing in the 2019 World Cup looks to be a surety but he would still like to silence all the doubters by having a cracker of a series. All MS fans would be hoping and praying that he finds his form and makes sure he remains a vital part of the Indian team.