Published: Feb 14, 2015, 10:26 AM (IST)
Edited: Feb 14, 2015, 10:27 AM (IST)
MS Dhoni leads India at the ICC Cricket World Cup 2015 and remains one of their biggest assets. In contrast to the last World Cup, Dhoni has a young side, with most members making their first appearance on the big stage. The onus is on the captain to swing the fortunes of this team Down Under, writes Nishad Pai Vaidya.
During India’s victory against Australia in the semi-final of the ICC World T20 2007, a commentator had famously remarked that India were “playing in the personality of their captain — fearless.” Over the years, the Indian skipper’s attitude has rubbed off on his troops as they often play no-fear. From a team that consistently lost in tournament finals in the early 2000s, they blossomed into a successful unit that finished the job. Dhoni has a lot to do with that success and he remains the most crucial component of India’s campaign at ICC World Cup 2015.
As discussed in a previous article, India’s fortunes would depend on Dhoni’s psyche. In the face of adversity, he has been his calm self and that has helped India in big tournaments in the past. But, ICC World Cup 2015 would perhaps be his biggest test: this team is not the strongest, and has been under pressure for its poor form. During the tri-series before the World Cup, they were found wanting in all departments. The batsmen did not put enough runs on the board, whereas the bowlers failed to contain the opposition. Dhoni himself struggled and did not match his normal high standards with the bat. Not only does he have to raise his own game, but also that of his team’s. ICC Cricket World Cup 2015: SCHEDULE & MATCH DETAILS
But, with Dhoni, you can ill-afford to write him off. At the practice sessions in Adelaide, he has looked his calm self and has gone about his job. He beams that smile on the odd occasion and focuses on the task at hand. The other day, he had to rush from practice to Melbourne in order to get to the opening ceremony; as expected, all that was done without a fuss. That tells you about his personality. For him, the job at hand is what matters and he is in his zone mentally when he enters the field. Past records and statistics do not count for much — be it success or failure. ICC Cricket World Cup 2015: POINTS TABLE
This time, Dhoni seems to be heading towards the autumn of his career. He has already bid goodbye to Test cricket and it isn’t clear as to how long he would continue in this format. Dhoni has tirelessly played cricket all over the globe during the last few years, juggling three big responsibilities. At some point of time it was going to take its toll on him both mentally and physically. He has looked a little tired underneath that increasingly greying beard, but like most other aspects, that may be a small thing for the man as well. ICC Cricket World Cup 2015: Complete Coverage
This could be the last time we see Dhoni in the World Cup, and he would want to make it one to remember. He helped India win the ICC Champions Trophy 2013 with a group of youngsters at a time when not many counted them amongst the favourites. India need something similar for this World Cup as they face a big test Down Under. The captain remains one of their biggest assets and could have a huge bearing on their World Cup campaign.
(Nishad Pai Vaidya is a Correspondent with CricketCountry and anchor for the site’s YouTube Channel. His Twitter handle is @nishad_45)
