T20 World Cup exposed Dhoni's poor captaincy

Blame a loss on luck, blame it on the rain, or blame it on the position of the stars, the fact remains that India has been knocked out of the World Cup for the third consecutive time since they won the inaugural tourney, throwing their pride into the bin and the hopes of a billion into the distance.

It was probably for the first time that India did not go into the tournament as one of the favourites, which says a lot about their form in the past year or so. They’ve beaten teams, but done so with tensed expressions and scrappy conclusions. Top players like Gautam Gambhir and Harbhajan Singh have failed to make a mark, consequently leading to the latter’s axe and question marks over the abilities of the former. Indian cricket has been in dire straits for a while and this could be the catalyst to finally take some tough decisions and begin an overhaul.

However, a major (and I cannot nearly emphasise how major) cause for concern is none other than Mahendra Singh Dhoni. It’s strange but ever since getting that haircut of his, he’s seemed to have retreated into a cocoon, coming out only when he deems appropriate. Do we even remember the ferocious, long haired Dhoni, bludgeoning every ball that came his way into kingdom come against each opponent crossing his path? It’s hard to believe he possessed such a demeanour once upon a time.

His batting abilities have certainty matured. Sure, we do miss the old Dhoni sometimes but there is no doubting that when you need someone to stick around, Dhoni is the most bankable of the lot. He picks the singles when he wants and hits them out of the park when required. But his captaincy, which was always lauded for its bravery and instinct, is waning disturbingly fast.

There was a time when every decision of his was left unquestioned because we knew he had something up his sleeve. Now, either the talent around him has depleted or his sleeves just don’t hold that much any more. The World Cup exposed India’s top order weakness, the lack of technique in their fast bowlers, their laxness in the field, but more than anything else, it exposed Dhoni’s weaknesses.

One thing which I failed to understand throughout the run of the tournament was why he insisted on coming down at number seven. The 2011 ODI World Cup final in Mumbai is the perfect example as to why Dhoni should bat up the order when required. But even when the Indian team was in tatters, instead of sending himself up the order to set things straight, he sends the atrociously out of form Rohit Sharma, like against South Africa.

Speaking of whom, why has Dhoni persisted with Rohit Sharma in the side is a question one will spend days pondering over. He’s had a torrid year, a ghastly season, which falls short of adjectives to describe. He’s continuously failed with the bat and has shown utter laziness on the cricket field. In 13 ODIs played this year, he’s hit one fifty at an average of 13.66, an incongruous average for any middle order batsman in the world. He has been handy in the T20 format (he even got a fifty against England), but with that kind of form behind him, there were absolutely no merits to pick him. Then the decision to give him an over against South Africa was a horrible one and it was probably that over which turned the tide for South Africa.

Similarly, Dhoni probably stretched his luck by giving Kohli another over against Pakistan. Kohli had bowled a good couple of overs, but then was hammered for 15 runs, which luckily did not prove consequential, but did slow the hearts of many.

Dhoni’s strategies have also curiously turned to a defensive vein, often encouraging the opposition rather than make them feel threatened with the situation they are posed with.

Against South Africa, India was defending 120 and not 150 which South Africa was chasing. Keeping this in mind, Dhoni should have put pressure on the batsmen and pushed the fielders in. Instead we saw the South Africans picking up singles like it was nobody’s business and often converting them into twos. Why Dhoni chose to be ultra-defensive when a spot in the semi-final was at stake, is again a question one can scratch his head upon until the nails became sore.

Dhoni’s tactical errors only makes you wonder if all that was done in the past was just a glorious streak of luck he was galloping on. However, the thought seems too outrageous to be true and helps open your eyes to an even darker revelation, where Dhoni’s superpowers have worn off and age has caught up with our captain. Maybe it’s time India hires a new man to flourish in this big, bad world of cricket and lead them to greater heights and even greater levels of achievements. Kohli, anyone?