Cricket – the worldwide phenomenon
Worldover Cricket is recognised as an enigmatic sport. It is followed as a game that transcends geographies, bridges the gap between its lovers and stars and ultimately, unites fans regardless of age or colour. The way cricket is adored by millions across the globe is not only fascinating for numerous reasons but brings to light its power to evoke responses that mold the way the game is percieved and regarded. Cricket is always in the spotlight and its performances along with a huge gamut of performers are opined, negated, constructed and even made to rule the limelight.
The game owes its recognition also to the concerned fan
Today, the game doesn’t and cannot function in isolation. An important aspect, one that cannot be discounted ever for the sheer passion it exuberates is the cricket fan. The fan may opine either generously or negate the game vehemently but his is an impact that affects reactions and impressions associated with Cricket stars. Howsoever engaging a contest maybe out there but one cannot simply dismiss the feeling or the passion of a cricket fan. He has annointed players, ravaged reputations, provided solace to the hot favorites during their testing times and has been the pertinent reason capturing the spirit of the game.
Stalwarts from India
The fan gets all the more importance when spoken in the context of India. The Indian cricket fan is the one who has been a constant witness to some timeless jewels of the game. One cannot simply rule out the factor that it is this fan who has seen the birth and the rise of countless legends hailing from this part of the subcontinent. At first, we had the original master blaster, the legendary Sunil Gavaskar, regarded by many as the most technically gifted strokemaker of his time. He garnerd praise from the Indian fan wherever he played and why not, for he was our most definitive answer to counter the monstrous fear generated by the then fast bowlers of the West Indies. Marshal, Roberts, Garner, Holding, they all tried to outperform the ‘little genius’, again a term connoted by loving Indian fans, but much to the Windies’ chagrin, Gavaskar would be the thorn coming in the way of many a West Indies’ triumph. The fan has showered huge adulation to other modern day masters with the likes of – Saurav Ganguly, hailed as the “lord of the off side”, VVS Laxman, adored as the very very special Laxman and also the second inning wonder. If the Maharaj of the game was feeling alone ruling the cricketing kingdom, Ganguly soon saw “Yuvraj”, the Prince who soon became a worldwide phenomenon thanks to his sterling command of the art of batting. At a time when Indian cricket was being known more for its lack of general inconsistency and dearth of promising performances abroad, we saw the rise of the legend of “The Wall”. With Dravid being the solid dependable batsman the team rallied around, times were changing more in our favor. We started to win abroad and show more promise and command at home. With the “Sultan of Multan” Sehwag, dismissing the best of bowlers to a state of oblivion, the time was just seeming right for Indian cricket to aim for the best. Our game peaked to some unforseen glories. To add wings to our flight, Sachin Tendulkar being around, till as recently as 2013, ensured that the game was in safe hands having the God protecting it from any form of decimation.
Enter 2007 and a new star emerges
With the appointment of Dravid as the Indian cricket captain, taking charge after Ganguly, this was percieved as a move that was to have stroked a master plan for the Indian cricket team and it didn’t exactly disappoint. While there were some memorable series wins away from India at West Indies and South Africa under the calm leadership of Rahul Dravid, there was still something missing. The fan and the harshest of all critics were given a real reason to despise the game when India collapsed cheaply in the 2007 World Cup. Against a side as average as Bangladesh, none had forecasted such an ordinary performances. Dravid did stand alone in that one day encounter, holding an end for most of the innings, but did he really inspire and hold the unit together? Futhermore, where was the consistency at winning against the mighty cricketing nations? Were youngsters sufficiently being absorbed into Indian Cricket? The rise in these questions without any promising answers ultimately pushed the selectors and the BCCI to go for a move, that can safely be regarded as a genius stroke, one that has given a new shape to the destiny of Indian cricket in the 21st century. Out of nowhere, a well built but relatively unknown cricketer, one who sported long streaks best suited for a television show based on the youth was crowned as the new king! Mahendra Singh Dhoni, all of 26 and with just 2-3 years of International cricket experience, was coronated as the new Indian cricket captain. From that period in 2007, a time that saw the painful exit of Dravid, one of our most dependable performers, Indian cricket has undergone a sea change as far as leadership is concerned. It would be none other than Dhoni, the lad from Ranchi, Jharkhand who would emerge as the surprising icon, one in whose hands lay a bright course for our cricket. And if we look back, starring into the past from 2014, the results haven’t been too disappointing.
What is special about Dhoni?
MS as he is affably called has scripted some memorable wins, both at home and away from India. His role in the team is one that lends key presence at multiple levels. A wicketkeeper par excellence, he has been exceptional from behind the stumps, never backing out to stand up to the wickets, when desired by bowlers. We will not dwell into the number of catches he has so effectively collected, stamping the necessary dismissal of some of the most lethal batsman to have played cricket, as this isn’t a look into his techinical prowess with the gloves. Captaincy is supposed to be a science of the mind that combines useful skills, upright thinking and a sense of fortitude. With facets like leading from the front and peforming when the chips are down, it is the role that ican script triumphs and in situations where it lacks planning, can concoct a disaster for the side. Being fully aware of what is expected of him as the captain of a team that rules millions of hearts across India, we cannot belittle this responsibility vested at the hands of Mahi or reduce its importance to being one being fairly ‘manageable’. The media forever willing to chop your head at any given moment of underperformance and a fan base that spreads into a billion, this was a role that would have easily overwhelmed the fairly inexeperienced Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s when he was chosen for it. But, as it happens with brave individuals who decide to never back down from a challenge that they are exposed to, MS’ response to leading Indian cricket has been one that the entire country can be proud of.
Contrbutions with the bat and as a leader
In seven years leading one of the best team’s in World Cricket, Dhoni has remarkably changed the way our cricket is percieved and contested by the opponents. We have defeated the mighty Australians on many occasions and with some authority. We have shown relentless fight against the Proteas and have demonstrated class against tough opponents like Pakistan. Our critics can see our outstanding performance and that of Mahi the leader in the memorable 2011 World Cup triumph if they aren’t convinced just yet. Dhoni extracted some of the best performances from the likes of Yuvraj, Raina, and Kohli during our great triumph. Be it the match against South Africa, Australia or Pakistan, we outshined 2 out of these 3 really tough sides, looking a tad bit frail versus the South Africans, but only thanks to our poor bowling. While Yuvraj hit a fine fifty taking us home against Kangaroos, he still credits his captain who backed him during the match and through the entire tournament. The final game of the 2011 World Cup was to be a glorious date with history as far as Indian cricket was concerned. While Mahela Jayawardene led charge of Lanka’s formidable first inning total, the outcome of the match was one that was to be decided by Dhoni’s exploits with the bat that ultimately were in favor of his side. Even though Gautam Gambhir held one end of a collapsing Indian batting line-up that lacked promise thanks to the early departures of Sachin and Kohli, the arrival of Mahi however, signalled an end to Lankan ruling on team India. Together with Yuvraj, he reserved his best performance with the bat for that final game, in a tournament that up to this point wasn’t witness to any special knock by the Indian captain. Dhoni mastered spin and ruled against pace that evening, never allowing Murali or Dilshan to settle and was particularly severe to Malinga. He hit the winning runs,hitting a punchy six to seal victory for India with quite a few bowls to spare. In his brave but timely effort of 91, Dhoni lifted team India to a spot of elevation. India won its greatest World Cup match ever and albeit the tournament under the calm and composed leader, MS Dhoni.
Last year, we won two of the best cricketing series ever in a long time in the one day format. First, we defeated Windies and Sri Lanka at the Caribbean in a tri series that was to have seen some fiesty performances by the likes of Gayle, Samules, Sangakkara and Mahela but eventually saw a complete reversal of expectations. It was indeed, India who would emerge as the better side under captain Dhoni. Dhoni who outfashioned West Indies from even qualifying into the finals on their home turf led from the front and hit a memorable last over six to take India into the finals versus Lanka. His team would go on to defeat the rivals convincingly. Later, we won the all important Champions Trophy at England signalling that our foreign visits outide of India, would be continuously productive. The series was won by some faultless batting, decorated by convicing hitting and all of this under the sharp accumen of a captain who put his best playing eleven in front to tackle the best of sides, sporting some heavyweight names like Steyn, Morkel, AB De Velliers, Cook, Bell, MCcullum and Gayle. While Rohit, Virat and Shikhar all scaled important peaks, it was to be under the watchful eyes of captain Dhoni for scripted yet another triumph for India.
The USP of Mahendra Singh Dhoni
As a batsman, he never shies away from shouldering responsibility. When needed, he can attack quickly changing gears in an inning and as per the team’s condition can also stay calm, ever so carefully rotating the strike. Even while coming into bat at the lower order, in both tests and ODI’s, his personal record isn’t unattractive. While he still has a lot to prove in the longest format , back in the one dayers, where he bats below skilled willowers like Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Kohli and Yuvraj- he has accumulated over 8000 runs at an average above 50 . Playing a convincing hand in some high run chases, partnering often with Yuvraj, Raina and others, he has played the captain’s role whenever needed. But,there is another facet that is unique to his playing style and the way he approaches his game. He has the uncanny ability to assemble the best playing eleven and is known to extract the best out his playing eleven to aim for a win for the team. Another strength that has bolstered the chances of his side in many encounters is the faith that he shows in all players. A fast bowler may be going for a number of runs, but if is the last bowling over of India and the batsman in the middle is relatively new, Dhoni wouldn’t think twice before handing over the ball to the same player again. What many label as Dhoni’s “gambling” approach to win a game for his side is actually an indication of a clever cricketing mind at play, one that is bold to make the unobvious choices that others fail to see. Who would have thought of Suresh Raina, the elegant power hitter, also as a part time off spinner? Jadeja was never our obvious choice of being an able all rounder. Who would have backed the down and out Yuvraj upon his withdrawl from the sport following severe illness other than Dhoni? Our captain cool has not just congregated a close knit unit of immensely talented cricketers, but has shown tremendous belief in his army of young resolute men, when they are under the constant scrutiny of the unfriendly eyes of the selectors.
Some necessary brickbats
at 33, Dhoni carries a remarkable record as a captain and as the batsman- wicketkeeper but certain decisions and tactics deployed by him haven’t always struck gold for us. His captaincy has often fallen under the axe of criticism by unsparing critics for lacking imagination and fervour on many occassions. In ODI’s he is lamented for being too experimentative and in tests, when the team is known to be holding the edge over an opposition, the complain against him is for not setting attacking fields. Facets like the leg slip being in place for an entire inning and backing fast bowlers over spinners when the latter would help the team’s cause haven’t really gone down well in India’s favor and some recent results are indicative of lack of any mindful captaincy. Dhoni’s own form with the bat has often been average with him not putting up a fighting show especially touring abroad. In the 2011 series vs England that India lost convicingly at the hands of its harsh opponents, it was Dravid, who offered some resistence during India’s dismal tour, conjuring 468 runs with three test match hundred but where was our captain when a promising knock would have helped the team’s cause. Dhoni, in that series lacked imagination and spark. He could neither score runs nor inspire his cricketers to put up a fight. Later that year in Australia, Mahi lead the side to yet another decimation, this time it was to be against the kangaroos where one felt that the team never benefited from the captain’s knock. Before that, he never looked promising against the South Africans who belted us when we toured them in 2010 series. This was a series where giants like VVS and Dravid looked pale and a distant shadow of their own. But as they say bouncing back is never hard for men who crave to brave challenges and Dhoni is a lad who cannot be castigated or kept quiet for too long. If his hasn’t been a great performance in tests, he has often displayed his potential to threaten the opposition in the shorter formats where his strike rate stands parallel to the best names in the game.
Form in 2014
The Indian cricket team, presently in England, has been trounced, very simply. In a literal one sided series, where our batsmen failed us and bowlers didn’t exactly inspire, questions have been raised about the lack of imagination of our captain while leading his side. As always, the critics have been the harshest and have handed him and his young brigade of talented men a sour verdict at the end of the 5 match series. But instead of being irrational to the point of discounting our performances as one that had nothing in substance, let us not ignore Mahi’s performance. This was to be a series where Shikhar Dhawan was to have proved himself as the real find being the promising opener that he is believed to be. But, it didn’t exactly turn out in that direction. A series where Pujara and Kohli were expected to have troubled the English thanks to their outstanding talent, the actual outcome was just the opposite. Their forms deceived them and their team and it all seemed a sorry state of affairs for our boys. While Rahane and Vijay were the only exceptions with the bat showing promise, our captain didn’t leave us all hopeless. He would ensure that his personal form with the bat wouldn’t be same as that of the previous forgettable outings versus the same opponents. Dhoni struck three fifties with two knocks exceeding 70.
Having already lost the series convincingly to England before the fourth test match even began, Dhoni’s decision of including Gauti over Dhawan wasn’t seeming to be a great bright spot that coud signal any relief from the harsh treatment handed to us. Gautam Gambhir didn’t reach an individual score of even 30 in four innings. Our bowling was jaded and our batters lacked the promise to put up a fight. We lost the fourth test and moved to the final with the only aim to restore some pride by managing a draw if the idea of winning had already been negated. In the fifth and final test, England held the edge going into the final test at The Oval post thumping India at Manchester in the fourth test. Once again our innings was one marked by dismal batting. In the first inning total of 148, Dhoni struck a fighting 82, holding one end while all others were falling from the other end. Rahane, Gambhir, Virat and Pujara all failed with the bat, surrendering cheaply to the pace of Anderson and Broad but the only man who didn’t kneel to the English was Mahi who played bravely without seeing to panic at all. While his not so cooperative batsmen were seen ducking Anderson and Broad, he even danced down the pitch to tackle their threats. One cannot say that Dhoni was totally controlled by any English bowler. He faught while others surrendered cheaply.
The shining enigma
Mahendra Singh Dhoni is a man for all seasons. Having delt with Shoaib Akhtar bravely in his career during a mighty 148 in Pakistan, announcing that his isn’t an ordinary hand with the bat, MSD has played fearlessly against the very best in business, be it Lee, Johnson, Vettori, Murali or Morkel. He has a sharp cricketing brain that is quick to recognize the gravity of the situation and allows him to adjust his game accordingly. While test cricket may not be considered his fortay, at times with the bat and also as a captain, it can’t be said that all his performances have been disappointing. His 224 at Chennai in February 2013 against the Aussies is hailed as one of the best test knocks ever by an Indian on the subcontinent. Dhoni combined timing, power hitting and a unique ability to find the gaps in his finely crafted knock against the Aussies and importantly, this high scoring inning came at the adjuncture of a not so promising form with the bat as witnessed earlier in the series. He can brave fast bowlers even when they seem lethal and for the spinners, he doesn’t think twice before prouncing down the wicket when sensing the opportunity. Along with Raina, Virat and Yuvraj and the newly succesful Rohit, Dhoni remains the power hitter that more often that not, gives what his fans expect of him: entertainment. If T20 cricket is the toast of fans worldover then Dhoni is amongst the most watched stars. His game in the shortest formats is one that is marked by exciting strokeplay all round the wicket. He brings the back hand into play time and again to send some of the best bowlers packing. He is a skilled exponent of the pull shot that is a feature in almost all MS innings. As latest as the last installment of this glamorous version of the game, it was Mahi who was dealing in sixes in CSK’s loss to Punjab. He has been lethal against minnows Delhi and promising against the mighty Mumbai. He has continued to lead Chennai Super Kings in the most sought after T20 tournaments in World Cricket.
A timeless legacy
The long locks might have paved way to the short and well groomed style but the determination to lead his side in this thrilling sport still keeps Mahendra Singh Dhoni on his toes, and fans to the edge of their seats. His is a memorable story made of many dreamy heights realized with sheer will and certain not so colorful outings but as a captain he has provided an able platform to display the collective talent pool of team India to the world. In a carrer that wherein he has lead the men in blue toward some true blue victories, there has been a surge in India’s recognition as a domination power in world cricket. Dhoni has inspired triumphs, stroked spirited performances from individuals and has guided the team to compete with resolve and self belief. For as long as he is determined to keep wickets and safeguard the hope with which fans cheers for his team, there are more chances of wins heading India’s way than leaving for any other direction.
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