In football, there is something called the ‘first touch’. When seen with a keen eye, more often than not it provides an immediate impression on an athlete’s mind about the skill and calibre of the subject. In cricket too, first impressions go some way in defining a batsman or bowler. The smooth run-up, the side-arm action and the use of the crease and seam tell you a lot about a fast bowler.
Something like this told me Mahendra Singh Dhoni would one day become an icon of the game. The sound of the bat meeting the leather conveys a lot of things and in 2004, when I first saw Dhoni batting at the nets in Dhaka, the power with which he was striking the ball made me take instant notice and I told Sourav (Ganguly) that this guy has “jaan in his haath” (life in his hands) and will go places if he keeps striking the ball with such ferocity. He was making his Indian debut on the back of scoring a lot of runs in domestic cricket, but international matches would be different. He did not make a lot of runs in Bangladesh, but there were elements in his arsenal that made him the special one.
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Seven years later, I was proven right when Dhoni clubbed the six to win India the 2011 ICC World Cup at the Wankhede Stadium. The ‘helicopter’ shot had the same jhatka with which he has nonchalantly slaughtered bowling attacks across the world. The enormous power generated from his bat swing made Dhoni a unique batsman and when someone has scored more than 17,000 runs in international cricket, we must respect the way he batted.
I have had the pleasure of knowing Dhoni as a teammate and captain. Like all leaders, he had his own style and vision. I have played under a lot of captains—Srikkanth, Azhar, Ravi Shastri (Mumbai), Sourav, Anil and Dravid—but Dhoni was the coolest one. Having played different roles in his career, Dhoni was measured, balanced and imbued with positive thoughts. Having stood beside him at slips, through my numerous conversations with him on strategy I was convinced of his sharp cricketing brain and his amazing ability to soak pressure. The calmness with which he handled difficult moments helped him think logically and I have often asked him for advice on what to bowl to break a partnership.
Dhoni evolved rapidly as a cricketer. A thinking man always wins the trust of his teammates and I certainly was impressed with my “two-minute” chats discussing game plans. And every time I asked him “kya lagta hai?” (What do you think?), he had very simple solutions. Before the 2007 World T20 in South Africa, top BCCI officials asked me who should be captain. I had no hesitation in suggesting that Dhoni should be the man to lead. Like all good leaders, Dhoni backed his instincts, and to ask a rookie bowler (Joginder Sharma) to deliver the final over of a World Cup in a humdinger of a contest against Pakistan called for some nerves.
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I enjoyed my partnership with Dhoni. Being the senior-most in the Indian team, I had a big role to play. Whenever we took the field, we all played for India. Seniority, religion, caste or bank balance did not matter. Our backgrounds did not matter either. I read articles about Dhoni representing the ambition of the middle-class from tier 3 or tier 4 cities. I do not subscribe to that idea. Anyone who is driven by passion and has the urge to excel will shine, regardless of region. It was easier for me to connect with Dhoni because we had the same goal. The fact that I had no ambition to become captain of India also helped avoid any possible ‘tension’ to rear its head. I was like the elder brother in the team because I had been playing from 1989; Anil’s career took off from 1993, while Sourav and Rahul arrived in 1996. As I held the team together, the team looked happy, the camaraderie was like tonic and Dhoni settled down well as captain.
Like Brand Sachin, Brand Dhoni was not built overnight. Whatever success we achieved as cricketers was founded on the fact that we worked hard on our game and made sure we were consistent and had sufficient longevity for people to trust us. The greatest connect for a cricketer is with the game and then with the fans. The rest follows. Dhoni is a classic example. His universal appeal is because Dhoni is an established and loyal cricketer. There can be debates about his batting position, strike-rate and captaincy calls, but that’s part of a sportsman’s life. And it is never all perfect.
I will cherish my relationship with Dhoni. We have spent a huge chunk of our lives together with the single-minded determination to do well for India. The 2011 World Cup victory was a moment of truth. It was my sixth World Cup and this was being played at home. The final was in my city, Mumbai. Wining the final match against Sri Lanka was the best moment of my cricketing life, the icing on the cake. Success bonds the best and that’s why Dhoni is very special to me.
Retirement is a very personal call. I can say from my personal experience that there is an inner voice that tells that your time is up. In 2013, when I was playing a Champions League T20 match for Mumbai Indians in Delhi, I had missed a practice and a gym session. For a man who would secretly train even on off days, this was something unusual for me. There was this strange feeling inside and an indication that one needs to put a stop. Remember, Dhoni remains an active IPL cricketer and having put a tight lid on all speculations about his international career, Dhoni will enjoy giving the ball a solid whack, for his haath still has plenty of jaan.
(As told to Soumitra Bose)
