WATCH: Dhoni uses two different bat sponsors in an innings for the 1st time

Dhoni came to bat after the dismissal of Rohit Sharma in the 21st over. Unlike his last outings, Dhoni held an SS bat instead of Spartan

Mahendra Singh Dhoni is undoubtedly one of the finest masters of the gentlemen’s game and there are numerous proofs. None of the players around him could even imagine that what next he would do on the field and something similar happened during the 1^st ODI against Australia in Hyderabad on Saturday.

Dhoni came to bat after the dismissal of Rohit Sharma in the 21^st over. Unlike his last outings, Dhoni held an SS bat instead of Spartan. The former Indian skipper had signed Rs 20 crore-deal with the Spartan Sports back in 2013. Since then he has been carrying willows with the stickers of that sponsor.

But, on Saturday, he entered the field with an SS bat, a brand which he never used after becoming an international cricketer.

Later, Dhoni changed his mind and switched over to his usual Spartan blade before the beginning of the 29^th over. 12^th man Rishabh Pant was seen bring the same for him.

Here’s the video:

For the next couple overs, the veteran cricketer found it difficult to get runs as he faced 7 balls but scored just 3. After the 30^th over, he signalled the dugout and got the SS bat back.

Here’s the video:

After making the change for the 2^nd time, he shifted gear and scored runs at a higher rate. He brought up his 34th ODI half-century and also surpassed Rohit Sharma to own the Indian record of hitting most sixes (216*) in ODIs. he remained unbeaten on 59 and ended the game in style with a four.