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So is ‘Captain Cool’ MS Dhoni born lucky or his skill set has taken him to where he is today? As a skipper he has no parallels – taking India to the No. 1 pedestal in Tests, winning the 50-over World Cup (2011), T20 World Cup (2007) and the Champions Trophy in 2013. At the same time also, Dhoni has suffered terrible away series losses – by 0-4 margins to both Australia and England after the 2011 World Cup, an ODI series loss to Bangladesh as well as some other crushing defeats in South Africa and New Zealand.
MS may have won the most number of Tests as captain (27 out of 60) but then he also holds the record of losing (18) the highest number of matches. Twenty one of his 27 Test victories have come at home while he has lost 15 games in away series. During his tenure India became tigers at home and cats when playing away. Some of his predecessors like Sourav Ganguly and Rahul Dravid have won more away series than Dhoni has ever done and that probably throws a big mark on his captaincy abilities.
Some of his former mates like Gautam Gambhir have always called MSD ‘lucky’ while others like Ravi Shastri only have words of appreciation for the presently-rattled Rising Pune Supergiants skipper. In one of his recent columns Gambhir wrote that he has always said that a ‘captain is as good as his players are’ and the credit for Dhoni’s record as a captain should also be given to his teammates.
His ire is understandable, because double ‘G’ and MSD have never been the closest of mates both on and off the field. In fact even now, Gambhir laments the fact that his innings of 97 in the 2011 World Cup final did not get the accolades that MSD’s unbeaten knock of 90-plus got. Many called Dhoni a ‘genius’ as he promoted himself up the order in the crucial summit clash against Sri Lanka.
But more than his captaincy, his ability to finish off matches with the bat at the death that took MSD’s popularity to an all-time high. Sadly with his batting form in the wane, critics have also started questioning his captaincy methods.
The strike rate (SR) of 188.38 which MSD had during the 16-20 overs an innings has now come down to less than 130; similarly the SR during the 40-50 overs of an innings in ODIs has been reduced to less than 100. Two years ago it used to be close to the 150-run mark. Above all the number of times India have failed to win a game with Dhoni at the crease has increased alarmingly. He simply has lost his ability to win games on his own.
Former India wicket-keeper Saba Karim who played a single Test and 34 ODIs however, has an explanation for MSD’s batting loss of form. “Look, he is 34 now. As you grow old, the reflexes, hand-eye coordination – all tend to get slower. Dhoni has never been a technically correct player. He has been more of a reflex man and with age catching up, his form is bound to drop. The same happened to Viru (Virender Sehwag),” the former national selector stated over the phone from New Delhi.
Saba is also the first to point out that MSD’s wicket-keeping skills have not decreased one bit. “He has become better due to his experience in international cricket. Look, he was never a technically correct keeper, but then to me, he is the best India have ever had behind the stumps. He is still the fastest stumper in the world,” points out Saba.
But then another legendary name behind the stumps, Syed Mujtaba Hussain Kirmani is quick to point out that more than a keeper, Dhoni has always been a ‘batsman who can keep’. “He was never a gifted keeper, he somehow managed the job. His batting pyrotechnics overshadowed his keeping deficiencies,” the Bangalore-based Kiribhai stated over the phone.
Overall, however, the fear, that ‘Captain Cool’ evoked among his adversaries is slowly on the wane. And slowly, but surely, the fans are also feeling that the halo around MSD’s bat is slowly, but surely fading.
