MSD

I generally do not prefer to blog about a celebrity. Except for Christopher Nolan, I did not blog about any person, not even about my idols Dravid, Sehwag, Rahman or any of the tens of geniuses. Now I write about MSD because everyone needs to know how much I want him to leave Team India, forever. Yes, you read it right. I want him to leave because we don’t deserve him to be our captain. We insulted him, trolled him, hated him, pelted stones at his house, burnt his photos and what did he do? He just continued smiling and continued winning matches for Team India. What more does he need to do, to not be criticized by his own countrymen? Should he keep scoring runs in losing causes like Misbah does? Or should he too retire and then comeback like Afridi did? Or maybe he must play against the spirit, like Sanga did. Then will you love him?

He was the hero we needed, but not the one we deserved. So hunted him, we doubted his loyalty and we tried to bring him down. Because he could take it. Because he was not our hero. He was a silent guardian, a watchful protector.

This article is not about the Team India’s recent loss in World cup and definitely is not about convincing everyone what a great captain Dhoni is. It is just a reflection of the past 9 years of Indian cricket and how my personal views on Dhoni have been constantly changing.

DHONI, THE DESTROYER:

Our opening pair was never short of aggressive batsmen- Sachin, Ganguly and then Sehwag. Someone or the other always took that responsibility. But then came Dhoni, with a few flops in his early career and a majestic 183* against SL. I remember bunking school to watch that match and that innings was a very special one, mainly because of the sheer power displayed. We have been accustomed to see text book shots and neat cricket until that day. Many shots were played which couldn’t be named by commentators. India got a pinch hitter they needed. Just like everyone else, I too became his fan. He continued his butchering in the Pakistan series and that’s when everyone in India started admiring him. But some good things live short. Well, Dhoni is not one of those. He is the good thing that got better.

DHONI, THE WINNER:

2007 ODI World cup- an unforgettable nightmare to all the Indian players and fans. Dhoni, especially was criticized for his inability to lift up the momentum in the match against Bangladesh. When he was made the captain for the T20 wc, protests reached the peak. How can you choose a new captain for the World cup? We crossed the group stage, super four, semis and people still questioned his captaincy. We were one wicket from victory, in the finals and fans still wondered what kind of a crappy captain he was, to give the last over to Joginder Sharma. As soon as Sreesanth grabbed that catch, all the questions were answered. There still were people who called him “lucky”! He smiled.

DHONI, THE CALM AND THE COOL:

I still remember the two innings which could be considered as the start of the transformation of Dhoni’s batting. It was 2008. England toured India and we almost clean swept them in 7 match ODI series. In two of the matches, while India were chasing, Dhoni scored 29* of 51 and 50* of 61 balls. People started fearing that we lost a hitter. I was happy that we got a match winner! As I wished, those two innings were not the last of this calm composure. I lost count of his match winning performances while chasing. And his average of 109+ suggests that I am right. Not only in his batting style, he was ultra-cool, even on the field. I cannot recollect any instance in which he lost his temper and verbally attacked the opposition. People started criticizing him for having lost his technique and ability to hit out of the ground. He didn’t lose it. He chose to use it wisely. If he wanted to, he could have batted at 3^rd position every time and continue his hard hitting. Then, he would have hit a century every now and then and be successful every 1/5 innings and be loved for that. But he chose to be there for the team 5/5 times. And yeah, go ahead, abuse him for that.

DHONI, THE “KEEPER”:

If you step out of the crease and miss the shot when Dhoni is keeping, it’s better you just walk away. He is like lightning behind the wickets. We don’t usually admire that because unlike other keepers, he doesn’t dive much and show off. But then, he doesn’t need to. Because, he has an amazing ability of reading the path of the ball and adjusting his position according to that. Everyone knows the ability of Dhoni’s judgement, whether it is about taking the review or appealing at the right time. There were instances when he gave up his helmet to short leg even while keeping near the stumps. He doesn’t care, he doesn’t think about anything other than the team. So, yeah, continue abusing him!

DHONI, THE LEGEND:

28 years of waiting was at last done with that massive winning six. Yes, it was Viru who started the tournament with the crazy 175 and yes, it was Yuvi who shined throughout the tournament. Gambhir was the one who built the trembling innings in the final and Sachin was the one who was praised the most for his dedication. But when Dhoni was praised, cricket fans had problem with that too! They said that he stole the limelight with just one innings, in spite of failing throughout the tournament. But no one took time to understand how was it possible to cruise through the tournament, with an unstable middle order and a weak bowling attack? Of course, it was team work. But Dhoni was the adhesive that kept the team glued together. His tactics, bowling changes, use of part timers etc. were not noticed by many. May be because, we take the most important people and the things they do for us, granted! It is not that he did not face losses. He lost many matches, and that is a part of the game! Important thing was that, he always came back stronger. Gangluly recently stated, “Dhoni should write a book on field placement after he retires.” That is who Dhoni is! He did not see his new born baby for over two months, for the team and the result is the burnt photos and increased security for him! If this is the country he is fighting for, I wish he leaves the team and let the useless fans find someone else to blame. But, he won’t do it. No matter how many more stones you throw at him, he would smile back and continue sacrificing for our sake.

Dravid and Viru continue to be my all time favorites and Dhoni will continue being my secret idol.