It's time India respects Dhoni; good that Shastri has cleared the air
As a television commentator, Ravi Shastri is respected for his clarity and knowledge of the game. Be it while doing the pitch report or speaking about a match in general, Shastri is sharp and to the point.
Now with Team India in Bengaluru for the preparatory camp before the home series against South Africa starting on October 2, Shastri has cleared a lot of doubts about how he views limited-overs skipper MS Dhoni.
If one rewinds to the Sri Lanka tour where India won the Test series 2-1, a lot of news was emanating about how Shastri and captain Virat Kohli get along, on a daily basis.
Apparently, the two were together at the breakfast table on the tour and are now part of the UAE tennis franchise in the ITPL (International Tennis Premier League).
Nobody minds the bonding between Shastri and Kohli on and off the field since Team India gains from it. Some people in the media fraternity who were batting for Kohli as skipper in all formats of the game must have been pleasantly surprised when Shastri spoke eloquently on Dhoni, the one day international (ODI) and T20 skipper.
Talking about Dhoni, Shastri said: “No problem at all. You are talking of a seasoned campaigner, one of the legends, one of the all time greats of world cricket... He (Dhoni) takes over a job he has been doing.”
These words should put an end to all the uncertainties about the role of Dhoni in Indian cricket after his retirement from Tests. After India won the Test series in Sri Lanka, there has been intense speculation on not just Dhoni but also the role of Shastri and the support staff.
With the Indian cricket board (BCCI) backing Shastri and giving him an extension till the ICC World T20 in 2016, a lot of things became clear.
Firstly, as reported by Mail Today in detail, no foreign coach is going to be roped in, and secondly, Dhoni is most likely going to be the skipper for the World T20.
At a time when the BCCI is still in the process of finding a successor to president Jagmohan Dalmiya, there is a settled look on the field.
By now, it’s clear split captaincy is the case with Indian cricket. It's not a new scenario actually because as long as Anil Kumble was the Test captain, Dhoni handled the ODI side.
Frankly speaking, there was no need for this debate on what role Dhoni has to play in Indian cricket. He did lead the side in Bangladesh after the World Cup and to assume he is rusty is stupid.
As a professional who has served Indian cricket so well over the years, Dhoni has proved his utility repeatedly. Captain of the side which won the T20 world title in 2007, leading India to a title triumph at the ICC World Cup at home in 2011 and ensuring India made it to the semifinal this year in the World Cup makes Dhoni stand out.
At this point of time, Dhoni doesn’t need to be playing matches to prove his fitness and match readiness. As one who dares to be involved with parajumping and so on, you can be sure he is physically in good shape.
One question being asked repeatedly these days is if he needs to bat up the order. That question, too, has been answered well by Shastri, when he said: “The captain will take a call on the day."
Fans at home should actually be happy that there is so much positive energy within Team India. Playing at home against South Africa, the number one Test side, promises a lot of thrills in the winter.
If the first part of the series is going to see Dhoni lead from the front in T20 and the ODIs, Kohli will be eager to give it his best shot in the Tests.
Both captains have their own leadership skills yet the intent is the same: to win matches. If Dhoni has maintained a quiet stature all along and lets performances speak, Kohli likes to be a bit more vocal.
He talks of sustained aggression, which is justified and suits the dressing room.
His five-bowler strategy is something new, though what ploy he and Shastri adopt against the visitors on wickets at home remains to be seen.
Then again, when Dhoni leads the ODI side, Kohli has been the star performer with 22 centuries in 161 matches. With no captaincy pressure on his shoulders in the shorter format, Kohli gets the opportunity to express himself more freely with the bat.
There is a gentle nip in the air and the weather should be ideal for good cricket. India vs South Africa is what you are going to enjoy over the next two months.