Dhoni looks to Manchester United's win for inspiration
India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni is clearly searching for some inspiration after his team's 0-4 mauling at the hands of England in the recent Test series.
- mid-day.com
- Updated: August 30, 2011 03:14 pm IST
India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni is clearly searching for some inspiration after his team's 0-4 mauling at the hands of England in the recent Test series.
That's the reason the Manchester United fan, landed up at Old Trafford to watch Sunday's English Premier League match between the Red Devils and Arsenal, along with his business partner Arun Pandey and teammate Suresh Raina.
And inspiration would have flown as fluently as the goals from the Red Devils -- eight of them to be precise, as the reigning EPL champions humiliated Arsene Wenger's men 8-2.
United's impressive win could have been just the tonic to lift Dhoni & Co's drooping spirits following their Test defeat wherein they also surrendered the World No 1 crown to the English. Reams of newsprint have been spent on criticising the Indian team and Dhoni's visit to the football match would have been to overcome just that gloom. "Thoda mood halka karne ke liye gaya the (they just went to lighten up their mood)," an Indian team member told MiD DAY.
"Kaise zid se khelte hai players, Mahi woh dekhna chahta tha (Dhoni was keen to see the grit and determination with which they (footballers) play the game," added the player.
And determined the United players were, considering striker Wayne Rooney scored a neat hat-trick, with Ashley Young scoring a brace while Danny Welbeck, Park Ji-Sung and Nani added a goal each to complete the tally to hand Arsenal their worst ever defeat against the Red Devils. It was also Wenger's worst defeat as manager.
The Indian captain, it is learnt, enjoys watching inspirational videos too. "During the Test matches he watched video of army men... of how they survive in tough conditions. And thereafter he would make it a point to even share his experience with us," said the team member.
Let's hope the reel life action inspires some positive real life results for Team India in the upcoming one-day series against England.