Viru a poor candidate to replace Dhoni
The deep disappointment caused by Team India’s performance in the Caribbean caused such hurt that many have gone to the extent of calling for MS Dhoni’s head. Realistically speaking, is there an alternative to Dhoni? It was his steady hand on the rudder that took India to the top in Tests and twice, albeit briefly, in ODIs too. And all this took place just a few months ago.
When things go swimmingly, captains do tend to take a major portion of the credit. By the same token, they get it in the neck when the team is not performing, which is exactly what is happening in Dhoni’s case. The captaincy issue needs a lot more thought than what the emotions will allow now so soon after the second big fall in T20 cricket in the space of less than a year.
Dhoni’s slackening curve in ODIs has been commented upon quite freely. Defeats have been more than wins in most recent times. Also, the fact that Sehwag led India to two crucial wins over Sri Lanka and clinch the series 3-1 is also known. But it is the team as a whole that is to blame for the debacle in the Caribbean where certain lackadaisical ways, lethargy and questionable attitude ruined the effort.
It may be tempting to split the national captaincy once again as it was done when Anil Kumble used to lead the Test team and Dhoni was handling the limited-overs cricket. Such duality would not serve the purpose as it would undermine the captain’s position in the present context. To have a senior of the calibre of Anil who was not playing ODIs to run the Test team was different.
The two-captain practice will not work at a time when Team India have to pull their socks up and ready for the World Cup, now barely eight months away. That won’t happen easily if the authority of the captain is eroded by the selectors either talking of a switch to the dual captaincy or begin to actually stoke the ambitions of some seniors in the side. Let’s face it — regardless of his none too bad record as stand-in captain — Sehwag can be a disaster area as skipper.
Sehwag not being involved in two World T20 fiascos does not absolve him of all blame. In fact, his unnerving presence in England — where it appeared he was forever hoping to recover from shoulder injury and play before pulling out quite belatedly — ruined the team spirit last year. His casual attitude to T20 batting also makes him a poor candidate in the event of a split captaincy.
The triple load of leading a team in all formats is not easy to bear. Ricky Ponting learnt his lesson early and cut T20 cricket out of his portfolio.
Maybe, Dhoni will come to the same conclusion someday even if this is a difficult decision to sustain in Indian cricket with all its intrigues.
A young and experimental T20 side may be an innovative way out of the present impasse of poor performances by an ageing team in the shortest format provided it does not deflect from the focus on the World Cup.
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