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"Kohli Looked Unsettled, Dhoni Was...": Wagner Spills Tea On The 'Better' Player

Soumyajit Dutta

MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli [Source: @imVkohli/X.com]MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli [Source: @imVkohli/X.com]

Former New Zealand pacer Neil Wagner has looked back on the 2014 Auckland Test between India and New Zealand, recalling how he managed to unsettle Virat Kohli with his bouncers but eventually dismissed MS Dhoni, who otherwise looked comfortable against the short-ball plan.

Kohli and Dhoni remain two of India’s most successful captains. While Dhoni is the only skipper to win all three major white-ball trophies, Kohli is the country’s most successful Test captain. Both are batting greats with more than 10,000 ODI runs each. However, their Test careers followed different paths. 

Wagner recalls troubling Kohli

Interestingly, Wagner believes MS Dhoni initially looked more assured against pace in foreign conditions compared to a young Kohli. Speaking on the Red Inker Cricket Podcast, Wagner described how he worked out a plan to trouble Kohli during that first Test at Eden Park.

"This Test match, I remember the wicket being quite flat, but there was a bit of pace and bounce. Eden Park is quite small on the straight, but the square boundaries there are pockets that are helpful. I remember bowling a couple of bouncers and how they played it, and particularly [Virat] Kohli looked a bit unsettled. He didn't know if he should take it on or not and how to play," Wagner said.

He explained further, "The idea was trying to go cross and outside eyeline. He (Kohli) tried to pull it in front of square because there's protection out. Him trying to pull it in front of square, he just got a toe end on it and it carried through to BJ Watling. He got a bottom edge on it and it created a bit of a mode."

Dhoni looked more comfortable

The Auckland Test saw New Zealand set India a daunting target of 407 runs in the final innings. Kohli fought hard with a well-made 67, while Dhoni and Ravindra Jadeja put on a 54-run stand that gave India hope at 268/5. But Wagner’s spell of 4/62 sealed a 40-run win for the hosts as India were bowled out for 366.

Reflecting on that innings, Wagner admitted that Dhoni looked far more comfortable against his short-pitched bowling until he produced a surprise slower-ball bouncer.

"Then Dhoni and Jadeja looked like they were going to chase it down and play a phenomenal innings. Dhoni didn't look like it was bothering him too much. It was all about taking the positive and aggressive option for us and not being fearful at all. I was like I am going to bowl a slower ball bouncer to Dhoni. I did it and he chopped it on, and I was amazed by it. The confidence that I got from that and backing your gut feeling made me feel like getting some confidence and some self-belief," Wagner added.

While history hails both the cricketing greats, as per Wagner the Dhoni was ultimately outsmarted however, Virat Kohli stood strong on his sheer brilliance with the bat and textbook cricket displays.