He came. He saw. He conquered. These words, more or less, apply as much to Mahendra Singh Dhoni, as to Alexander the Great.
M.S.Dhoni made his debut against Bangladesh on 23rd December, 2004.
In the next few weeks, this lad from Ranchi, Jharkhand made it clear, that there was much more to him than just that shy smile or those flowing golden locks (Now dyed black, much to the dismay of his huge female fan following!). Then there was no looking back. Over the past year, seeing Dhoni walk on to the pitch to bat has been a demoralizing sight for bowlers. It is indeed, unsettling for bowlers to see even the best of their deliveries being whipped over their heads for boundaries. His indomitable spirit and the awesome muscle power which he puts behind his shots has made him an instant hit and a favourite among commentators, cricket experts, and cricket buffs, young or old. He has even invented a few shots of his own, including one which was named the ‘Dhoni sweep’ by the excited commentators. He has not let his fans down.
It is a treat to watch Dhoni hitting those power-packed fours which reach the boundary before the fielders can actually focus their eyes onto the ball. And his lofted sixes are a treat to watch. He is a batsman whom I, and I am sure quite a few other students would happily sacrifice an hour on even the eve of an exam, to watch. Sachin, Yuvraj and Rahul Dravid? Only if there are a couple of days left.
There’s no arguing the fact that Dhoni is a good pinch-hitter. But apart from that he has also displayed his solid defense play in recent matches and played some patient and well-planned innings, guiding the Indian team out of a few tight spots too. This shows that a lot of hard work, mental as well as physical, actually goes into his innings which we don’t get to know about. Drinking 3 – 4 litres of milk everyday (as he claims), flavoured or not, sure isn’t child’s play.
Even though Dhoni is partly susceptible to swinging deliveries and occasionally reaches out for unwanted and dangerous shots, his batting ability and excellent wicket-keeping capability has proved to be an asset for the Indian Cricket Team. It seems that the long wait for a wicketkeeper who could do as well with the bat as a specialist is finally over for the BCCI and cricket fans throughout the country.
M.S.Dhoni is one of the emerging young talents in the Indian cricket team, along with other young players like Suresh Raina, Munaf Patel, VRV Singh, S.Shreesanth, and Irfan Pathan, all of whom make the game more competitive and exciting to watch.
But it remains to be seen whether M.S.Dhoni would actually, in the long run prove to be an invaluable part of the Indian Cricket Team. With his growing experience at the international level, Dhoni would surely be able to improve his batting temperament and hone his wicket-keeping skills. And the added resposibilty of captaining the team will prove to be a true test of his mettle.
Until then, no one’s complaining.
No one, except obviously, the opponents.
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