Dada vs Dhoni - How the "old" compares with the "new".

Many have wondered and got into debates regarding who is the better captain of the Indian team- Sourav Ganguly or MS Dhoni? Here is a comparison as to how they climbed the ladders of success in the extremely competitive cricketing world.

• Sourav Ganguly

The cricketing world in the year 2000 was witness to one of the darkest periods in the history of the game. The match-fixing scandal, not only brought disrepute to the game but also shook the average supporter’s belief in the sport. India bore the brunt as well, with some of its players getting embroiled in the scandal. Moreover, the Indian team was at that time being led by “Master Blaster” Sachin Tendulkar whose captaincy record was deplorable to say the least. Our team being mauled by teams from all around the world, series whitewashes were a common occurrence and the world outside India was filled with gems like McGrath, Allan Donald, Ranatunga, Bevan, Gough and many more. It was in these extremely difficult circumstances that Sourav Ganguly took over the reins as the captain of the Indian Cricket Team which was reeling with the absence of Sachin Tendulkar due to poor health and Mohd. Azharuddin and Jadeja on charges of match-fixing.

Not giving much credence to the tumultuous atmosphere around him, Sourav began revamping the team. For that he would have to start from the basics since at that moment the team was in tatters. He encouraged the inclusion of the more younger and exuberant talent in the team, even if it meant resting the slightly old and experienced ones. It was in this endeavor that the general public became privy to the existence of players like Zaheer Khan, Yuvraj Singh, Mohd.Kaif and many more. Ganguly was now more than a captain, he became the caretaker of the team in tatters. He lead by example and inspired his teammates to perform to their level best. One player said,

“you can’t help but give it your best, for yourself, your country and for Dada”

He took the team to new heights. With the inclusion of more and more new talent in the team, the level of enthusiasm increased. This energy, combined with the experience of players like Sachin, Dravid, Laxman and Ganguly himself, made the Indian team a force to reckon with. The only thing that went against Sourav’s ambitions for his team, was the presence of great cricketers the world over. The Australian juggernaut was uncontrollable, decimating each and every team in sight.

It is this very reason that prevented the Indian team from lifting the Cricket World Cup in 2003, when Australia conquered them by a very convincing margin. Despite this incident, India was recognized as a very competitive opponent and a hard nut to crack which made Ganguly’s squabble with Greg Chappell and his subsequent exclusion from the squad extremely painful. His era as captain came to a bitter and unwanted end.

• MS Dhoni

Out with the old and in with the new as they say, and that is what exactly happened. MS Dhoni took over the reins of the team after the 2007 WC debacle. A complete revamping and re-invigoration of the team was on the cards and the management did their part in fulfilling it. A young squad took the field in the T20 World Cup that same year and humbled the world. In all fairness, we have not looked back since. The team that Dhoni lead in the subsequent years has been a perfect balance of youth and experience. These features supplemented with his supremely cool and calm behavior on field, furthered the Indian cause for reaching the top.

The only bone of contention was the ever-lasting domination of the Aussies over cricket. The silver lining for the Indians and the rest of the cricketing world pretty much, was the gradual decline in the sting and the strength of Australian cricket with the exit of the likes of Gilchrist, Hayden, Martyn, Warne, Bevan, McGrath and many other key players. It is in this scenario that India flourished and started to take the cricketing world by storm. The result- India lifted the World Cup after 28 years in 2011 thanks to a majestic performance in the final by the team in general and Dhoni in particular.

What I feel as a spectator to both scenarios of Indian cricket is that both have led the team by example and have been responsible enough to manage resources on the field and off of it. The only frank observation that I can make, not withstanding MS Dhoni’s caliber, is

“Ganguly was the best captain of the Indian team, while Dhoni is the captain of the best Indian team”

PS- You wouldn’t be privy to Dhoni had Ganguly not been there.