What makes MS Dhoni a modern cricketing great?

MS Dhoni: From long-haired hitter to invincible finisher

Some monikers, or epithets, are never a true reflection of a person’s abilities or skills. In fact, I find them to be wholly unnecessary.

Having said that, this article of mine, once again, was difficult to write. After all, how does one get the tag of a modern cricketing great? Could it be Rohit Sharma, who has electrified crowds with his scintillating array of shots? Or do I go for Brendon McCullum, whose ramp shot makes the Dilscoop look tame by comparison? Or is it Kieron Pollard, whose massive hits have won quite a few close games for his side? Or do I confer this sobriquet on the stylish Virat Kohli, who has had a phenomenal run with the willow in the last two years?

No. There is one who has enthralled the masses much before these guys arrived on the scene and established themselves. There is one who continues to juggle multiple responsibilities while staying true to his credentials as a world-class batsman in limited-overs cricket. And he does all this without betraying fear, anxiety or nervousness. For these reasons alone, I choose him worthy of wearing the crown; the world knows him as Mahendra Singh Dhoni – India’s captain, first-choice wicket-keeper and a legend of the cricketing world. There are other supporting causes for my decision, and I shall elaborate on them in the following sections.

Serene as the deep blue sea

I used to think that playing in a blue jersey automatically brings out the calm persona of an Indian cricketer. After all, the colour is associated with water, the lifeblood of the human race. Peace and serenity, therefore, must be ingrained inside each player in the national squad.

In Dhoni, however, there is an almost supernatural aura of calmness. It is apparent in the way he walks, or rather saunters down, to the crease. His eyes betray no emotion caused by anxiety or pressure. Those concentration powers of his might not rival those of the legendary Rahul Dravid, but, in the limited-overs format, they are in a different league altogether.

It is this characteristic of the Jharkhand native that makes him such a dangerous foe for oppositions. They can bog him down with immaculate field placements, tighter lines and lengths, and shuffle their bowlers around, but that calm exterior simply won’t cave in that easily. The oft-repeated quote about the Indian captain is that ‘he thrives on pressure’. Playing a lot of ODI cricket has certainly helped in whetting that appetite of his.

Controlled brutality

Ruthlessness is a defining trait pioneered by the great Sir Viv Richards; Australian Glenn Maxwell, West Indies marauder Chris Gayle and many others have, at varying times, re-defined this art. Closer home, the likes of Virender Sehwag, Yuvraj Singh, Suresh Raina and Yusuf Pathan have also enthralled crowds with their lusty power hitting.

Dhoni, however, outshines them all. The reason is simple: his form of brutality is much more controlled, albeit the hitting itself looks rustic and crude at times. He doesn’t just hit the ball; he persuades it in the direction he wants it to go in (a style reminiscent of the great Frank Worrell).

The transition has been remarkable. From 2005’s long-haired youth who sent every third delivery into orbit to the current elder statesman of the side, the raw, unbridled power he possesses in his forearms has become much more refined. Cold-blooded assassins prey on their targets in such a fashion; the CSK stalwart is no different and thus infinitely more lethal.

Unorthodox yet successful

During the seventh and eighth decades of the 20th century, purists ruled the roost. A ball, which was beautifully left outside off-stump, drew much applause from the crowds back then. However, with the arrival of pyjama cricket (as One-Dayers were called back then) and then its lightning-quick shortened version, there has been a paradigm shift in the expectations of the spectators; they want to see more huge hits and a lot of innovations.

In this sense, the likes of Mahi, Maxwell, McCullum, Kevin Pietersen, and AB de Villiers have flourished. All these batsmen have been extremely unorthodox in their methods, and purists today wouldn’t have given them half a chance of succeeding at the international stage three decades ago.

The Indian wicket-keeper doesn’t have the best footwork, but such is his timing and precision that the ball nonchalantly travels through the covers with just a gentle prod of the willow. He has also taken the helicopter shot to newer levels, though he looks more like a swordsman who has lost his balance. With a technique that digresses from what veteran watchers of the game would consider copybook cricket, Dhoni has truly reaped the rewards on offer!

Summary

There are many weapons an international cricketer possesses in his arsenal. The rapid rise of Twenty20 cricket has only served to add more firepower to that armoury. Blending the devil-may-care-attitude with a nerveless mind, powerful wrists and incredible shot-making, backed by the innate ability to soak in all the pressure, makes Mahendra Singh Dhoni the numero uno ODI batsman in the instant cricket era. I may receive a lot of flak for this, but the evidences in his favour are just too concrete to be ignored.