Dhoni set for a final swing

On the 31st evening of December 2014, shortly after he had denied Australia a win in the Boxing Day Test, then skipper M S Dhoni betrayed few signs of a man who had quit the longer format during his 15-minute post-match media conference. As soon as the Indian scribes got back to the press box to resume their work, they were shocked by what they found in their inbox. It was a BCCI press release, announcing Dhoni’s retirement from Tests in no more than three sentences. It was as though Dhoni wanted to have some fun at the expense of reporters who were least prepared for this moment.

Cut to the present, towards the business end of this World Cup, M S Dhoni will ring in his 38th birthday and in all probability, this could be his last assignment in Indian colours. As and when Dhoni announces his decision to hang up his boots, it wouldn’t even come as a surprise. But it’s sure to leave millions of his fans with a lump in their throats, heavy hearts and a sense of emptiness.

For about one and half decades, Dhoni has been a constant fixture in the senior Indian team. Whether he has been in front of the stumps or behind them, he has made sure he owns that yard. From donning a rock star-like mane to sporting a statesman-like greying hair, Dhoni has endeared himself to fans cutting across sections of society and ages. Much like Sachin Tendulkar, Dhoni has been an emotion.

Coming from a state which had little cricketing culture, Dhoni’s rise as one of India’s finest captains and best wicketkeeper-batsman is a remarkable story. Humble yet confident, respectful yet self-assured, the Jharkhand man stays atop all Indian captains – and there have been some fine ones – as the most successful of them. He was the first Indian captain to preside over India’s rise as the No 1 Test side in 2009 and he annexed all three ICC trophies – World Cup (2011), Champions Trophy (2013) and World T20 (2007) – besides winning many Test and ODI series. No other captain in the world – not even from Australia – can claim to have such a record.

During two-thirds of his career, Dhoni drew plaudits as much for his batting – especially his finishing skills in limited overs formats – as his leadership. But as his batting prowess waned with his advancing age, his wicketkeeping skills and his valuable advice to skipper Virat Kohli have come in for special praise. While he has regained some of his touch with the bat, it’s his inputs to Kohli that have made him invaluable to the team. He sets the field, he advises on bowling changes, he guides bowlers as to what line and length to bowl, he is Kohli’s trusted DRS consultant and he has lost little of his reflexes behind the wickets. If anything, he is only looking sharper with the big gloves, unorthodox but very effective. Batsmen take few chances when Dhoni is standing up because the margin for error for them is very little. Above all, his calm and composed demeanour is a perfectly counterbalances the often tempestuous Kohli.

That said, it’s also a tribute to Kohli that in the larger interest of the team, he has readily ceded his leadership and allowed Dhoni to marshal the troops in times of need. It’s a testimony to the trust and respect they have for each other.

“We have always known what Dhoni brought to the table,” Kohli told a TV channel recently when asked about his support to Dhoni. “Even when people were going after him, I felt it was wrong and unjust. What we said at that time was for a good reason. We discussed at length what we would miss if he isn’t there. In overs 35-50, it’s Mahibhai who makes the field adjustments from behind the stumps, because he is in the best position to do so. I have to field in the deep because that is where I can contribute most to the team. There is complete trust and respect between us. I am fortunate to have someone like him who has been through this journey and knows almost everything there is to know about the game,” he observed.

It may not have been as much by design that Dhoni had to reinvent himself in this new avatar to keep his place secure in the team, but the Indian team will not be complaining. From being “Captain Cool”, he has now developed into a trusting mentor; an elder brother who would put his arm around a struggling bowler or a fielder and instill confidence.

If India’s 2011 World Cup campaign was about Sachin Tendulkar, the 2019 event could well be about Dhoni. For someone who has been the greatest advocate of the 50-over format, it would be a fitting end to his career if he lifts the silverware one last time.