India rest hopes on Dhoni

Captain not bogged down by convention.

NEW DEHLI: When MS Dhoni opened the bowling with a spinner in his first Test as captain in 2008, the message was clear — he would not be a prisoner to convention.

Following hunches produced the desired results as Harbhajan Singh responded with four second-innings wickets to help India level a three-match series against South Africa on an underprepared, spinner-friendly Kanpur track.

“I prefer to go by instinct,” said Dhoni after leading his team to a tense one-run victory over South Africa in the second One-Day International (ODI) in Johannesburg last month.

Dhoni was the first wicket-keeper to lead India in Tests, but had already proved his credentials as captain when his young side triumphed in the inaugural World Twenty20 in South Africa in 2007. His stock rose instantly as he was named ODI captain the same year, but at a time when India were trying to revive their fortunes in the 50-over game after the disastrous 2007 World Cup campaign in the Caribbean.

India bowed out in the first round after losing their opening match against Bangladesh in Trinidad, with former Australian batsman Greg Chappell as coach and Rahul Dravid as captain. The national selectors plumped for Dhoni after record-breaking batsman Sachin Tendulkar refused to lead and, in turn, recommended the youngster for the job.

All captains are under pressure, but India’s is under more scrutiny than others because of fans’ huge expectations in the cricket-crazy country. The burden of captaincy has not affected his batting as he cracked an unbeaten half-century in his early months as ODI captain, powering his team to a five-wicket win over Pakistan in Guwahati in November 2007.

India expect Dhoni to continue performing the triple role with distinction in the World Cup.

Published in The Express Tribune, February 10^th, 2011.