MS Dhoni: The Mahi Way

THE STORY: A destructive hurricane hit Vizag 10 days after Holi and, months later, raised a sandstorm in Jaipur to usher in Diwali. India ce...

THE STORY: A destructive hurricane hit Vizag 10 days after Holi and, months later, raised a sandstorm in Jaipur to usher in Diwali. India celebrated the eruption of Mahendra Singh Dhoni in 2005.

In the immediate context, the results were calamitous for Pakistan and especially Sri Lanka, reduced to standing and watching as India8217;s wicket-keeper walked in with his swagger and walked out to standing ovations. In the longer term Dhoni, used as a weapon of surprise while exploiting power-plays, means India have a wicket-keeper who can explode at will, yet also bat sensibly when the need arises. A man for Tests and ODIs.

The two centuries 8212; an audacious 148 setting Pakistan a stiff target, and the mammoth unbeaten 183, making a tough chase seem dead simple 8212; gave Dhoni the reputation of a swashbuckler, and had the rare impact of pushing India8217;s victories to the backdrop. The 183, studded with several records including Adam Gilchrist8217;s mark for the highest score by a wicketkeeper in ODIs, put the man from Ranchi firmly on the pedestal.

The test came in the Tests, when Dhoni showed he was capable of digging in and 8216;running8217; for his runs. That too caught his opponents by surprise, because they8217;d set fields for a typical slogger. His versatility fit well into Chappell8217;s experiments and eventually Dhoni had enough to keep out Dinesh Kaarthick, a man who didn8217;t do much wrong himself.

A spectacle worth paying to watch in the stadium, Dhoni remains an untested commodity outside of the subcontinent, though it was his good showing with the 8216;A8217; sides in Zimbabwe that catapulted him into the Indian team. Also in this age of multi-tasking stumpers, wicketkeepers are seldom dropped unless they drop too many howlers, which Dhoni hasn8217;t.

BEFORE: A football goal-keeper in school, Dhoni8217;s teacher convinced him that wicket-keeping depended on the same hand-eye coordination, though with a larger ball. Impressive performances for East Zone in Duleep and Deodhar earned him an 8216;A8217; cap. India, hiding a fumbling Parthiv Patel in the field were desperately looking for their own package of Gilchrist when Dhoni happened. Run out for nought in his first match, Dhoni broke loose in his fifth encounter.

AFTER: With an average of just over 45 and an imperious strike-rate of 103, Dhoni joined India8217;s recent legion of stroke-makers, bettering even the man who preceded him, Virender Sehwag, in his first 30 matches. Also played three blinders at Eden Gardens in a club cricket tournament 8211; 207 off 126 balls, 102 off 44 balls and 85 off 57 balls, bringing in crowds by the thousands for the local event.

SURROUND SOUND

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With Dhoni as headline, everything from his hair to his racing bikes fitted into the sub-text. The star was left explaining that the secret behind his power was one litre of milk daily, and not four as was attributed to his massive appetite. The long hair that Dhoni kept on his Zimbabwe tour, had assumed rock-star like proportions, though the man sticks to it since it is now a superstition.

Dhoni8217;s number games

183 Sri Lankans hate that number. First Ganguly, then Dhoni

10 Most sixes in an innings for a wicketkeeper

120 Most runs scored off boundaries by scoring a total of 120 runs off 4s and 6s eclipsing Saeed Anwar8217;s 118

4 Times Dhoni8217;s wrapped up a match with a six

17 Sixes in the seven-match series vs Sri Lanka

346 Highest ODI series aggregate by a wicketkeeper