The focus is back on Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the seasoned campaigner will walk out with the Indian team for the ODI series and despite his indifferent form with the bat, he will attract all the headlines.

Ahead of the 1st ODI match at the Sydney Cricket Ground, the Australian players paid rich tributes to the World Cup-winning captain.

Australia’s Test captain Tim Paine termed him as one of the best wicket-keeper batsmen to have ever played the game of cricket. He went on to say that Dhoni is the best in white-ball cricket.

“I think he is one of the best wicket-keeper batsmen to ever play the game,” Australia Test skipper and fellow wicket-keeper Paine told cricket.com.au.

Pacer Pat Cummins believed that the ability of Dhoni to remain calm in tough situations was incredible. He also said that his unfazed attitude made him one of the great ambassadors of the game.

“Winning games from impossible positions and he just seems like the most level, calm captain when he’s captaining, just play, nothing seems too big a deal, and just can pull things out of his hat like no one else.

“He’s a great ambassador for cricket, being an idol to a billion Indian people back home and he’s hugely respected around the world,” Cummins said.

Left-handed batsman Usman Khawaja, who has played with Dhoni in IPL for the Rising Pune Supergiant said that the best part of his personality is the fact that he concentrates on the controllables.

“He concentrates on the controllables, doesn’t worry about the rest, doesn’t let a lot faze him, understands there’s a lot of up and downs in cricket and I think he’s experienced that throughout his career and the way he plays and the way he goes about it” said the Australian left-hander.

First Published: Jan 11, 2019 12:38 IST