New Delhi: Mahendra Singh Dhoni is by far the best cricket captain India has ever produced when it comes to getting the job done without making a lot of fuss about it. Time and again Dhoni has bailed his team out of trouble, be it while doing his national duties or for his IPL franchise Chennai Super Kings. His ability to adjust to different situations makes him such a dangerous player in any circumstances and can switch gears without even letting the opposition know about it.
Dhoni's biggest asset is his ability to clear the fence at will and can slow or quicken the pace of the game according to its requirement. Captaincy seems to bring the best out of him and his calm and cool nature only goes to show his temperament which is the most important facet to succeed at the highest level.
Till date he is the only guy who seems to be the captain of any side whenever he walks into a cricket field, not to forget his wicket-keeping abilities, which gets unnoticed due to his batting fireworks.
Let's analyse what makes Dhoni not only the best entertainer but also as one of the finest captain of all times that Indian cricket had ever seen on his 33rd birthday.
AS COOL AS CUCUMBER:
India has seen many changes since he took the captaincy from Anil Kumble and India has been in a transition phase. Dhoni’s track record speaks volume of his Leadership. He has always been associated as “Captain of Best Indian Cricket team” but he is one of those captains who has seen the most dramatic twists and turns in his career. He took the team to the number one position in all formats of the game but very soon saw one of the darkest phase of his career as India was whitewashed by England and Australia in their own backyards.
His cool and calm attitude has always been praised but his patience during that tough time is something that has bonded the team together. He had always been the punching bag for the senior pros of the game but he did not bother about those things and kept himself busy in planning to get his team back on track.
JACK OF ALL TRADES:
Mahendra Singh Dhoni has been in prime form and has come up with some sensational knocks. His presence of mind is something even Little Master Sunil Gavaskar is a big fan of. He has that ability to stick with the lower order batsmen to steer the ship from the tough times which only a charismatic player can do. He has been rated as one of the most destructive batsmen of all times who can hit the ball for miles. He has hardly missed an opportunity to display his effectiveness as a team mate. His ability to galvanize his innings according to the format has been his uniqueness.
NO REAL SUBSTITUTE:
Many ex-captains have come up with an idea of introducing multiple captaincies in Indian cricket but Dhoni has welcomed the thought with a clause that, “If selectors think that there is any suitable replacement then they should go with it, otherwise there is no point in disturbing the balance of the team.”
Virat Kohli and Cheteshwar Pujara has emerged as contender for the captaincy of Indian cricket team but selectors want them to focus more on their roles in batting and fielding department. Moreover, Dhoni is now 33 years old, and is left with 2 to 3 years of cricket in him. So Indian team should try to stabilize more under his captaincy, as it is a better than opening the Pandora’s box and get back in to transition phase once again.
RIGHT MAN FOR RIGHT JOB:
Picking up rookie Ravindra Jadeja instead of specialist bowler Pragyan Ojha against the Aussies a couple of years back was something even legends were confused about but MS Dhoni had clear idea of what he wants for his team. Jadeja didn’t let his captain down and has already picked up 11 wickets in the series and looking positive to bag more.
Dropping Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag from Test squad was not an easy decision to make but Dhoni kept the priorities of team first rather than of any individual. Dhoni has kept his faith in Ravichandran Ashwin and he has done exceedingly well in the on-going Test series against Australia and is leading the wicket tally.
Taking these decisions needs a lot of courage and it looks that Dhoni surely believes in calamity is a touch-stone of brave mind and that’s why he is getting tested in a new manner which is letting him explore a new dimension of his captaincy.
PREPARING THE YOUTH-BRIGADE: Picking up Bhuvneshwar Kumar and Shami Ahmed a couple of years was a much needed move as Indian pace attack was struggling to make a mark. This duo has done really well and they created havoc on Pakistan and England batting line-up and made them dance on their tunes.
Giving Murali Vijay and Shikhar Dhawan was a fair call as the opening pair of Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag was not contributing to the team for past few years. Dhoni’s idea of preparing a blue-print of 2015 world cup team looks quite clear and with some fresh legs in the field, fielding department is going to be much better.
Indian Sports News Network
