Manchester: You don't associate milestones with Mahendra Singh Dhoni. And he has not given the impression that he is seduced by figures. That is why his 350th ODI on Wednesday at Old Trafford went unnoticed. Dhoni once again became the punching bag after India lost by 18 runs to New Zealand in the semi-final.

Dhoni's 72-ball 50 that included just one four and a six 'enhanced' his newly-acquired reputation of a slow batter during the World Cup. Compared to the hard-hitting Dhoni that the world has seen over the years, the Dhoni on display in this tournament was not the same. But given the role assigned to him by the team management and in the context of the games, Dhoni performed his role to near-perfection.