There are enough infightings in the world. But, to be the Indian cricket captain, you need a supernatural layer of calmness around you; or else the world, including your own fans are going to ask for your blood, especially in bad times.
On the third day the second Test match against the West Indies at Wankhede Stadium, with India cruising comfortably towards a victory, the crowd started chanting ‘Dhoni Hay Hay’. And to put it in mild terms, the cry was ‘loud’. MS Dhoni was doing nothing wrong. Within a matter of six deliveries, the chant changed to ‘Dhoni Zindabad’.
All it took for the crowd to change the emotions was one over to be bowled by Sachin Tendulkar. Yes it was an emotional moment for the fans, but for any captain, negative chants at that volume can be unnerving, to the extent of demoralising.
How do you fulfill irrational fancies? How do you not succumb to avoidable pressure?
Dhoni seems to have got something really right, some lessons really well learnt in his childhood that helps him cope with the preposterous demands of the cricket fans. And in the midst of all these external pressures, he has shown tremendous guts to back players despite mediocre performances. The year 2013 stands witness to the glorious tales of Ravindra Jadeja and Rohit Sharma, two players who were backed by the skipper even after a combined total of 144 One-Day Internationals (ODIs) of ordinary shows.
In ODIs, before 2013, Jadeja averaged 38.42 with the ball, while Rohit scored at 30.43 per innings. This year, the former has gone onto become the leading wicket-taker, while the latter is the second-highest run-scorer in the world.
What they are delivering now, is not merely good form, but what they possessed and ought to put in performances. But it needed a man of Dhoni’s character to silently back them even after a string of defeats, including a 2-1 loss against Pakistan at home.
As it stands today, the long rope given to the two seems justified and worth the wait, given the current form. Had anything gone wrong and had the move misfired, Dhoni’s position would’ve been on the line. Thus, in all respect, the Indian skipper deserves a large chunk of the credit for their turnaround. And as a return of favour, the two have made a mark for themselves in the longest format also.
Today, there seems a certain sense of calmness set and the picture of Indian cricket looks good. There is no panic and criticism flying around despite a loss to the West Indies. All moves played by Dhoni seem like aces now. And it would be essential for Jadeja and Rohit, like others who were trusted by the Jharkhand man, to not destroy the faith that was unfailingly rested on them, even in the worst of times.
(Aayush Puthran is a reporter with CricketCountry. Mercurially jovial, pseudo pompous, perpetually curious and occasionally confused, he is always up for a light-hearted chat over a few cups of filter kaapi!)
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