Is Dhoni captain only in name?
Team India losing the T20I series to South Africa has generated more interest in the five-match one day international (ODI) series that began at the Green Park in Kanpur on October 11.
One would normally expect that when a cricket series takes place at home, the pressure is on the visitors and not the hosts. However, two straight T20 losses, followed by the washout in Kolkata, give the impression that the MS Dhoni-led side needs to rediscover the art of winning.
Dhoni led by example in the ICC World Cup earlier this year in Australia and New Zealand where his batting skills came in handy in important matches. Just after that, India lost a series in Bangladesh, and the current state of flux in Indian cricket makes it all the more interesting for the long-serving captain.
For all the criticism being heaped upon Dhoni, he remains inert. That’s the way he has played his cricket, rarely reacting to what the pundits say - be it journalists or former cricketers-turned-specialists.
Agreed, his batting form has hit a trough and he is no longer the master finisher when he bats at number six.
For years, we have seen Dhoni bat at that crucial slot and turn matches on their head with his trademark shots.
All of a sudden, when Dhoni is facing the heat, people are trying to make him the villain for everything. India did not lose the T20 series because only Dhoni flopped. It’s a team game and the rest of the batsmen also failed to fire.
Before the start of the series, team director Ravi Shastri had waxed eloquent on what Dhoni had done for Indian cricket and how in the shorter formats, he still remains an obvious choice.
In spite of the mood not being upbeat now following the T20 series loss, one would like to believe Dhoni is still the man in command and enjoys full confidence of all the people in the dressing room.
On the eve of the match in Kanpur, Dhoni once again touched on the topic of Ajinkya Rahane and how he can fit into the team only if he bats in the top three.
Dhoni is right when he says that with Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli occupying the top three batting slots, there is no room for Rahane down the order.
Cricket fans remember very well, Dhoni had decided to move himself up the order, to number four, in Bangladesh. So it remains to be seen where Dhoni is going to bat in the first three ODIs.
Given the dynamics in the dressing room, if Dhoni bats at number four, one can safely assume he is the man still in command.
However, if Dhoni is going to come in at number six, one could be sure there is pressure being exerted on him.
To be sure, whether Ambati Rayudu or Ajinkya Rahane plays on Sunday will become clear depending on where Dhoni bats.
One has to agree Rahane is not a finisher who can play big, bold strokes in a cavalier manner. He is better off at the number three slot where he can play within his limitations with field restrictions on.
Then again, Rayudu’s form in recent matches has not been good, but he still is a better prospect at number six.
Looking ahead to the Champions Trophy to be held in England in 2017 and the next World Cup in 2019, India will certainly have to build a team for the future.
This is where the number six slot comes into focus as a batsman has to be groomed for it.
As far as Rahane is concerned, he has led India in Zimbabwe when all the senior pros wanted a break. So he is a utility man. He has a future ahead of him in all formats and the current non-inclusion shouldn’t gut him.
If one takes a macro view, there is a lot at stake for Dhoni in the first three ODIs vis-a-vis his own career. As one who has called the shots for a long time in the team, he is not in a position to draw the same power as when N Srinivasan was the super boss.
There has been a tectonic shift in the power balance within the Indian cricket board (BCCI) and if one has heard the bytes/comments from experts in the west zone, there is a strong anti-Dhoni sentiment.
But let’s be sure, Dhoni has been his own man and when the time finally comes for him to walk into the sunset, he won’t need nudging. He has done that already once, midway through the Test series in Australia.