Dhoni36: The man who made India play the 'Mahi way'

History of the world is the biography of great men
Thomas Carlyle

Bengaluru, July 7: The 18th century Scottish philosopher's words have relevance in sports. When the modern world, in general, endorses the merit of collective effort, sports still allows individuals to chart the course of a match, series or even the game itself. Mahendra Singh Dhoni is one of them.

His record as captain is impeccable. Perhaps, it will never get bettered. A World T20 title in his first assignment as skipper in 2007. He brought home the 50-over World Cup in 2011 after that epochal 1983 triumph. He led India to the top slot of ICC Test rankings. He masterminded India's title run in the Champions Trophy in 2013. Simply awesome! In the years to come, all the Indian captains will be measured against him. He's the gold standard, particularly so in limited over versions.

But Dhoni's value and meaning to Indian cricket goes deeper than the glitter of those trophies. He made India play the 'Mahi way.' As a Test skipper, the Jharkhand man was defensive unlike two of his contemporaries - Michael Clarke and Brendon McCullum.

But none understood the contours of 50 and 20 over versions better than Dhoni. He foresaw every curve and twist of a match like a chess Grandmaster. And he managed the resourses at his disposal accordingly. The way he entrusted Joginder Sharma to bowl the final over against Pakistan in the World T20 will remain a shimmering example.

Dhoni was an excellent man manager too - on and off the field.

Dressing rooms, often, can be chaotic where ego, frustration, misunderstanding and disagreement explode like a volcano. But during Dhoni's reign, barring on a couple of occasions, the Indian hub remained unified. Robin Uthappa once said he could run through a brickwall for Dhoni. R P Singh would not have hesitated to jump from a sky scraper for his captain.

Players from south, north, east and west put their best foot forward for 'Mahi bhai.' All this, he did with a calm exterior. His face never betrayed his mind. Misfield. Dropped catch. Rubbish delivery. Rash shot. And their antonyms. All of them were met with that same cold-as-a-dead-fish expression. Did Dhoni got angry? We never knew. Was he delighted? We never knew.

His icy demeanour percolated to his batting too. Often tasked with finishing the chase, Dhoni took the game deep. It required immense courage in a country like India where every result is analysed threadbare - not by a few but by millions. However, Dhoni was so confident that his opponents would blink first. Often they did!

But at 36, age has caught up with the gladiator. He has relinquished captaincy. Signs are there about his diminishing ability to kill a chase. Rewind to the fourth ODI against the West Indies when Dhoni laboured to a 114-ball 54 that nipped India's charge.

Amidst growing calls for his retirement, his successor Virat Kohli has offered him full backing. As is his wont, the man has not made his intentions public. Yes, he is still a predator behind the stumps and one of the fittest members in the team. But the World Cup is precisely two years away and he will be 38 at that time.

So, what's the road ahead for Dhoni? Will he try to hang on? Or a simple, crisp BCCI mail is on the way to our inbox like in the past? We will have to wait.

OneIndia News