Sachin Tendulkar and Shikhar Dhawan back MS Dhoni to keep producing for India

Despite recent calls for Dhoni to be dumped from the national team ahead of the World Cup, in favour of youngster Rishabh Pant, Dhawan and Tendulkar are confident the 37-year-old still has plenty to give

Shikhar Dhawan believes MS Dhoni's performances in Australia bode well for India in World Cup year.

Dhoni was criticised for a miserly strike rate of 53.12 during the first one-day international in Sydney, during which he managed 51 from 96 balls as India lost by 34 runs.

However, after another slow start, the former captain was in form resembling his best during the second match of the series on Tuesday, hitting 55 from 54 deliveries to lead his side to a six-wicket victory.

Despite recent calls for Dhoni to be dumped from the national team ahead of the World Cup, in favour of youngster Rishabh Pant, Dhawan is confident the 37-year-old still has plenty to give.

"The way Dhoni played in both the games is really great," the opener said.

^{MS Dhoni has hit two centuries in two innings against Australia}

"I am very happy that Dhoni is getting his touch back. A player of his stature, who plays the game with so much calmness, gives so much confidence to other batsmen.

"It is very important for us."

Dhoni, who has had very little match action for two months having been left out of T20I squads for series against West Indies and Australia, and having skipped the Ranji Trophy, endured a poor 2018 with the bat.

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He averaged 25 in ODIs with a striker rate of just 71.43 - the lowest by full calendar year of his long and distinguished career.

That has led to several high-profile pundits suggesting India would be better off swapping him for Pant, whose devastating potential has already been clearly shown in both the Indian Premier League and Test cricket.

But the Indian camp believe they are well served by having Dhoni's experience both in the middle order and behind the stumps.

Sachin Tendulkar agrees.

^{Dhoni's strike rate in ODI cricket has come in for criticism in recent months}

"In the first match, I felt he was a little rusty, he was not being able to hit the ball where he wanted to and that can happen to anyone," he said.

"He walked out in the second match thinking differently and from ball one, he looked a different player.

"He is someone who loves to play a few dot balls, understand the wicket, how the bowlers are bowling and likes to take the game till the end.

"That is exactly what he did. He is someone who is going to control the game from one end."

MS DHONI: ODI STRIKE RATE BY YEAR

2011: 89.88

2012: 87.63

2013: 96.05

2014: 92.07

2015: 86.84

2016: 80.12

2017: 84.73

2018: 71.43

2019: 70.67