Monty Panesar, the former England left-arm spinner, has looked back at the time he pretended not to know Hindi so as to fare better, as former India captain MS Dhoni gave instructions to his bowlers.
Dhoni, who recently retired from international cricket, is famous for his reading of the game and his instructions to his bowlers from behind the stumps. Given all the information is passed on in Hindi, players from most overseas teams have little idea what is being said.
But Panesar found himself at an advantageous position, being fluent in both Hindi and Punjabi – his family migrated from Punjab to England in 1979 – although he didn’t let Dhoni know of his familiarity with the language.
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“Dhoni was a calm guy. He wouldn’t say much. I think he was a great judge of non-verbal communication,” Panesar told Times of India. “He was just a great reader of things. You go and say something, he won’t reply, but be ready when he will come to bat or set a field for you.
“I remember his tips to the bowlers, especially spinners, from behind the stumps. ‘Abhi thodi wide ball daalo. Abhi thoda seedha stumps pe rakho. Ye cross-line khelne waala hai, seedha daalo. Ye deep midwicket pe chakka marega, thoda wide rakhna (Bowl a little wide now, now bowl straight on the stumps. He is going to play across the line, so bowl straight. He will try to hit a six over midwicket, so bowl a little wide)’.
“I can speak Hindi and Punjabi to a great extent. MSD thought I didn’t understand. I heard everything, but I also acted like MSD – as if I didn’t hear anything. I heard, and acted, as if I didn’t hear anything. But I knew everything.
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Panesar pretended not to understand instructions in Hindi from Dhoni to his bowlers[/caption]
“And believe me, he has done this a number of times and got wickets. And that’s what I love about MS Dhoni and I am proud that I have played against him.”
Panesar has dismissed Dhoni five times across formats, four of those dismissals coming in Tests. However, his favourite moment with the Indian wicketkeeper was a catch of his that he dropped. “My favourite moment with Dhoni was in Mumbai when I missed his catch,” he said. “It landed 10 meters on my right, went through the sun and I completely misjudged it.
“And then two balls later, I caught him. So, that’s cricket for you. One minute you’re zero, next minute you are a hero. He (Dhoni) will always be a hero for the nation.”
