MS Dhoni - In the captain we trust

“Cometh the hour, cometh the man” a very famous proverb that has been used innumerable number of times in the world of sport. But nowhere is it more apt than when one describes current Team India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni. The talismanic skipper has been in the spotlight for years now and has guided India to unparalleled heights in recent years. While he is lauded for his accomplishments, there has been a surge of backlash against him from his critics in recent times. Whether it be his captaincy or his silence regarding the recent spot-fixing controversy, critics have been baying for his blood for a while now. While it is easy to criticise, one only needs to take a moment to reflect on the legacy of this man to know that calling for his head is a bit premature at this point.

He burst onto the scene with some magnificent centuries against Pakistan and Sri Lanka. The 183 he scored against Sri Lanka is the second highest individual score by a batsman in the second innings, behind only Shane Watson’s 185 against Bangladesh. His long hair and uninhibited batting style earned him many an admirer, one of them being the ex-president of Pakistan – Gen Pervez Musharraf. His style of batting was quite unique. Unlike the finesse with which the likes of Ganguly, Tendulkar or Dravid played, Dhoni’s batting was all about pure brute strength. When he hit the ball, it stayed hit. His technique wasn’t a refined one, yet it got the results it needed. The batting purists may have scoffed at it but could not deny the fact that it was effective. While his stock kept rising over the next couple of years, it was only in 2007 where he really rose to new heights.

After India’s disastrous campaign in the 50-over World Cup in West Indies came to an end, the nation was left stunned and disappointed. However, there was another shot at redemption in the T20 World Cup in South Africa. BCCI took the decision of sending a young and rather untested squad to represent India in the inaugural edition of the tournament and also appointed a new skipper – MS Dhoni. Not many gave India a chance of doing well at the tournament. They were written off from the get go as critics felt India had no chance without the senior brigade of Dravid, Tendulkar and Ganguly. But just like the great Indian team of 1983, so aptly named ‘Kapil’s Devils’, the 2007 squad took everyone by surprise and went from being rank outsiders to the inaugural champions. Dhoni was now the toast of the nation and was hailed as the new messiah for Indian cricket. And so it would prove in the next few years.

On the controversial Australian tour of 2007-08, Dhoni captained India to its first tri-series victory in Australia and it’s first ODI series victory on Australian soil since the 1985 World series. Despite all the controversy surrounding that tour, Dhoni refused to comment on any of it, instead letting his bat and captaincy skills do the talking on the pitch. The mind games of the Australian side fell wayward as Captain Cool executed his plans to perfection and led India to a historic triumph. Under Anil Kumble’s astute leadership of the Test team during that tour, Dhoni had learnt a lot about how to handle these off-field issues and stay calm. This ultimately led to him replacing Kumble as the Test skipper. Now Phase II of India’s world domination plan was under way and with Dhoni at the forefront, it seemed like nothing could stop them. In 2009, India achieved the No. 1 Test rank in the world and the plaudits for Dhoni kept flying in. Dhoni had now been given captaincy in all 3 formats of the game and despite the pressure, he still maintained his cool and calm composure.

In 2010 he led India to the Asia Cup title, a trophy that had eluded India for 15 years. But his finest hour was yet to come. With the 2011 World Cup preparations in full swing, it was India’s best chance to win on home soil. And so it proved right as Dhoni led the team through initial hiccups to the World Cup title, India’s first since 1983 and the nation was jubilant. The world was literally at Dhoni’s feet. Not only had he made the dreams of a nation come true, but also of one particular individual – Sachin Tendulkar. Throughout the tournament, the captain made some gutsy decisions which all paid off.

When Nehra was clobbered against South Africa , everyone called for him to be dropped. But Dhoni had confidence in him and persisted with him in the semifinal against Pakistan. Nehra repaid the skipper’s confidence with a magnificent spell of bowling that stifled the Pakistani chase and ultimately proved vital in the win. In the final, when India were at a precarious position with 3 wickets down, Dhoni took it upon himself to come up the order and see out the difficult phase. He then went on to play one of the most magnificent innings on the grandest stage of them all and it was only fitting that he ended the tie with a monster six.

With all this success came all the mega money endorsement deals and awards. Dhoni was now one of the most bankable athletes in the world and the face of almost every product imaginable. It was at this point though that things started turning sour. Following the high of the World Cup win, subsequent tours to England and Australia saw India not only losing the numero uno status, but also suffering embarrassing whitewashes in the Test series. Suddenly, the heat was turned up on the skipper and everybody called for his head. The world was crashing around Dhoni as people accused him of blatant favouritism of some players and of being instrumental in the dropping of certain senior pros in the team.

But yet again, MSD was as cool as a cucumber, letting his actions on the field define him. A recent whitewash of Australia and regaining the coveted Border Gavaskar trophy has kept his critics at bay for now. But knowing the fickle nature of the Indian media and fans, those opinions may change. Dhoni himself said that in a few months’ time, all this success will be forgotten. Harvey Dent, in the movie ‘The Dark Knight’ memorably said that, “You either die a hero, or you live long enough to see yourself become the villain”. In Dhoni’s case, this holds very true. After all the initial euphoria, he is now under intense scrutiny from the media which is ready to pounce upon his smallest of flaws.

The recent spot-fixing controversy in the IPL has now put Dhoni in a very uncomfortable position. As the face of Indian cricket, he is being questioned almost incessantly. He has responded with a stoic silence. For that, he is now being crucified and called a puppet of the all-powerful BCCI. What the media and fans do not understand is that Dhoni has always shown single-minded focus in his thought process. His only ambition and goal in life as the Indian cricket team’s captain, is to win every trophy and accolade for the team. Even now, on the eve of the last ever Champions Trophy, he wants India’s name to be etched on the trophy. And yet, the media still persecute him and make him a target in issues that are our of his power. The injustice of the situation is plain to see. Let him concentrate on what he does best and let the law take its due course.

Dhoni has always been a quiet individual. Everything he does is indicative of a man who doesn’t like to be ostentatious. Even after the World Cup victories of 2007 and 2011, Dhoni himself stood to one side in the pictures after the presentation of the trophy. He himself handed over the trophy to his team-mates and let them bask in the glory. It all just goes to show how he never likes to be at the centre of attention. While other celebrities and cricketers like to make a big deal out of their weddings, Dhoni himself got married in a quiet ceremony that took the media by surprise as not many were aware of it.

While there have been critics of both his batting and wicket-keeping techniques, he has excelled at both. He is often called India’s answer to Michael Bevan due to his ability to finish off games. While his wicket keeping may not be the best, there is no quicker pair of hands on display behind the wickets. The speed with which he removes the bails during stumpings or run-outs is remarkable.

What Dhoni may lack in technique, he more than makes up for by being street smart. This ability to think on his feet has served him well as a captain and is the reason behind him being India’s most successful captain. While Ganguly might have laid the foundations for all the modern successes India has had, it is Mahendra Singh Dhoni who has served the role of the architect with aplomb.

But the captaincy in all three formats has taken a toll on him and it is time a new skipper is found for at least one of the formats. England have experimented with this multiple captain theory with relative success and maybe now it’s India’s turn with Virat Kohli being considered for the role. As far as temperament goes, Kohli and Dhoni are poles apart. While Dhoni is cool yet aggressive, Kohli lets his aggression show in every action of his. He is like a hybrid of Ricky Ponting and Sourav Ganguly – an unpolished diamond in terms of captaincy, a potent mix but one that needs to be harnessed in the right way. And there is nobody better than MSD to guide him in this process.

A man who has always done his talking on the field, Mahendra Singh Dhoni should be considered one of the true legends of Indian cricket. His captaincy of both the Indian cricket team and his IPL franchise, Chennai Super Kings has been exemplary. His trophy haul for both club and country speaks volumes and is a testament to his captaincy. One can only give this warning to his critics – be careful what you wish for. For when things are at its worst, it is only individuals like MSD who can guide Indian cricket to where it truly belongs.