I've been following the game since 1992 watching all cricket matches and reading whatever article I have laid my eyes upon. Be it the Sportstar, or Sportsworld or whatever journal. Following the game for 18 years, I have an understanding and love for the game and its happenings like not many people can be proud of. It really irritates me when our cricketers do not perform to their potential. Watching a tiny nation like Srilanka win the world cup and Australia play like they were born to win makes me even feel even more worse when our Stars, highly talented and have no match elsewhere in the world keep underperforming consistently.
Watching bright stars enter with a bang and leave like a dog with its tail inbetween its legs has been the fate of the Indian cricket fan. So we stopped expecting great things consistently from anyone who has entered the team recently. On 23rd December 2004, a new breed of cricketer was unleashed upon the world. The way he struck the cricket ball was so hard that it was impossible to believe that India had finally unearthed a talent who could destroy bowling attacks with brute power. Mahendra Singh Dhoni was his name. On 5th April 2005, he gave the world a view of what he thought about bowlers and plundered the Pakistanis for 148 runs. I, in particular, was extremely thrilled with that innings for many reasons. Finally Sachin had someone in the middle order who could terrorize bowlers. Team India finally found the x-factor that it was missing. It was finally becoming a complete package with a wicketkeeper who could actually bat.
Soon, this plunderer from Ranchi would display the same power against the spinning wizards of Srilanka. Those were the days when I used to cheer for him and his sixes. His ability to finish the innings along with Yuvraj Singh gave new hope to all Indians that the world can be conquered. But then came the horrible worldcup campaign. The Indian team exited in the first round. Later that year our man was named the captain of the side for the World T20 tournament and team displayed the captain's character and played a brand of fearless cricket that won the worldcup.
He was named the captain of the one-day side too where Sachin Tendulkar was the only surviving senior after Sourav and Rahul were sacked for being slow movers on the field and did not fit into Dhoni's plan for one-day internationals. He was immediately rewarded with success in Australia for the first time. But soon, the captain's performances started deteriorating and his natural game was soon compromised when he blamed responsibility as a reason for curbing his natural instincts of destroying the opposition. There were some situations when only he could win the game for the nation, but it seemed like he lost his strength along with his hair. He could not clear the boundaries with the ease he used to. He was playing rash shots straight to the fielders. His technique was exposed in the test matches when he became captain of the number one test side too. The successes of the test side evolved around the batsmanship of Sachin, Sehwag and Lakshman and the bowling always depended on the new found zeal of Zaheer khan. Dhoni produced a string of terrible performance after terrible performance in the test arena and the same poor form continued into the one-day game as well. Apart from momentary brilliant decisions on the field, there was literally no contribution from this dasher from Ranchi after he started curbing his natural instincts.
This was the moment that changed my view of Dhoni. This was the time when I felt he was wasting his talent. Only Keiron Pollard could strike the ball better than Dhoni. To this day I have always felt Dhoni is wasting his talent by not going after the bowling. He succeeds or fails, playing his natural game would've done his world a whole lot of good. Probably the hatred results from frustration built on his failure to live up to his true potential. Similar to this was the dislike I had for Sachin Tendulkar in the early 90s when I never used to watch test cricket. It was in 1994 when I watched his ODI first century against Australia in the Singer Cup. That was the moment that changed me. That was the moment I started following Sachin Tendulkar's batting. That was the day when I realised his greatness and to this day, I've never spoken a word ill of HIM.
Such a day was the world cup final of 2011. Mahendra Singh Dhoni produced an innings worthy to change my mind. It was an innings of masterclass where Dhoni mixed caution with aggression. This innings had something about it. There were many a glimpse of the Old Dhoni I admired. The flourish of the bat, the boundary balls being dispatched without second thought and most of all, the six to seal the world cup. It was a manner which he once made his own, but floundered. Lets hope this is the second coming of the hero he once was and currently is. Let the sixes flow from his bat that used to terrorize the opposition. Chak de Captain Cool.
ps. This is the article I had once promised to deliver about Dhoni when he made a made a useful contribution to the team's victory. And am glad it came at the right moment- The Final !
Watching bright stars enter with a bang and leave like a dog with its tail inbetween its legs has been the fate of the Indian cricket fan. So we stopped expecting great things consistently from anyone who has entered the team recently. On 23rd December 2004, a new breed of cricketer was unleashed upon the world. The way he struck the cricket ball was so hard that it was impossible to believe that India had finally unearthed a talent who could destroy bowling attacks with brute power. Mahendra Singh Dhoni was his name. On 5th April 2005, he gave the world a view of what he thought about bowlers and plundered the Pakistanis for 148 runs. I, in particular, was extremely thrilled with that innings for many reasons. Finally Sachin had someone in the middle order who could terrorize bowlers. Team India finally found the x-factor that it was missing. It was finally becoming a complete package with a wicketkeeper who could actually bat.
Soon, this plunderer from Ranchi would display the same power against the spinning wizards of Srilanka. Those were the days when I used to cheer for him and his sixes. His ability to finish the innings along with Yuvraj Singh gave new hope to all Indians that the world can be conquered. But then came the horrible worldcup campaign. The Indian team exited in the first round. Later that year our man was named the captain of the side for the World T20 tournament and team displayed the captain's character and played a brand of fearless cricket that won the worldcup.
He was named the captain of the one-day side too where Sachin Tendulkar was the only surviving senior after Sourav and Rahul were sacked for being slow movers on the field and did not fit into Dhoni's plan for one-day internationals. He was immediately rewarded with success in Australia for the first time. But soon, the captain's performances started deteriorating and his natural game was soon compromised when he blamed responsibility as a reason for curbing his natural instincts of destroying the opposition. There were some situations when only he could win the game for the nation, but it seemed like he lost his strength along with his hair. He could not clear the boundaries with the ease he used to. He was playing rash shots straight to the fielders. His technique was exposed in the test matches when he became captain of the number one test side too. The successes of the test side evolved around the batsmanship of Sachin, Sehwag and Lakshman and the bowling always depended on the new found zeal of Zaheer khan. Dhoni produced a string of terrible performance after terrible performance in the test arena and the same poor form continued into the one-day game as well. Apart from momentary brilliant decisions on the field, there was literally no contribution from this dasher from Ranchi after he started curbing his natural instincts.
This was the moment that changed my view of Dhoni. This was the time when I felt he was wasting his talent. Only Keiron Pollard could strike the ball better than Dhoni. To this day I have always felt Dhoni is wasting his talent by not going after the bowling. He succeeds or fails, playing his natural game would've done his world a whole lot of good. Probably the hatred results from frustration built on his failure to live up to his true potential. Similar to this was the dislike I had for Sachin Tendulkar in the early 90s when I never used to watch test cricket. It was in 1994 when I watched his ODI first century against Australia in the Singer Cup. That was the moment that changed me. That was the moment I started following Sachin Tendulkar's batting. That was the day when I realised his greatness and to this day, I've never spoken a word ill of HIM.
Such a day was the world cup final of 2011. Mahendra Singh Dhoni produced an innings worthy to change my mind. It was an innings of masterclass where Dhoni mixed caution with aggression. This innings had something about it. There were many a glimpse of the Old Dhoni I admired. The flourish of the bat, the boundary balls being dispatched without second thought and most of all, the six to seal the world cup. It was a manner which he once made his own, but floundered. Lets hope this is the second coming of the hero he once was and currently is. Let the sixes flow from his bat that used to terrorize the opposition. Chak de Captain Cool.
ps. This is the article I had once promised to deliver about Dhoni when he made a made a useful contribution to the team's victory. And am glad it came at the right moment- The Final !
Chak de captain cool !! \m/ like!! :)
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