MS Dhoni was at his candid best after India won the third and final One-Day International (ODI) at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. After helping India win the match and series, Dhoni took the match ball as a souvenir. However, he quickly handed it to batting coach Sanjay Bangar and was heard saying “ball lelo nahi to bolega retirement le rahe hain (take the ball or else they will say I am retiring).”

There is a bit of background why Dhoni said so. Last year after an ODI against England, Dhoni took the match ball and it sparked speculations about his retirement, which apparently was not the case. So, Dhoni this time around made sure there is no room for rumours. MS Dhoni Returns! Twitterati Hails Indian Wicket-Keeper Batsman’s ‘Man of the Series’ Performance, Trolls Haters on Social Media

The former captain registered his third consecutive half-century of the series as India won the third ODI by seven wickets. With it, India won the three-match series 2-1. Dhoni shared a match-winning unbeaten 121 runs partnership to help India chase 231.

Dhoni scored 51 in the first ODI and then finished unbeaten in the second and third ODI with scores of 55 and 87. The wicketkeeper-batsman was also named as Man of the Series for his impressive show with the bat. India Wins ODI Series 2–1 vs Australia Down Under: Here’s How Anushka Sharma, Sachin Tendulkar, Virender Sehwag and Others Wished the Men in Blue!

Before landing in Australia, Dhoni was under pressure for his recent poor performances. The right-hander batted looked in good touch and as always performed his task as a finisher calmly. India will now head to New Zealand to take on Black Caps in the five-match ODI series and three-match T20I series.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 19, 2019 09:43 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).