Mahendra Singh Dhoni
About eight years back India went very close to winning a cup that is much craved for by the millions of fans in India. The team was appreciated for their performance and their form prior to the World Cup where they had lost the ODI and the test series against New Zealand miserably, was vaporized.
Four years later the performance fell below par when the Indian team was kicked out of the World Cup in the first round itself. Thus followed retribution from the nation where stalwarts like Sachin, Dravid and Sourav were criticized for their miserable performance.
Thus public memory which is very short changes with one good match or one good tournament. It is this public appreciation or humiliation which can put a lot of pressure on players which can eventually lead to a poor performance.
However Mahendra Singh Dhoni, though aware of such a pressure, does not think that the Indian team shall be affected by any sort of pressure in the upcoming World Cup. In his words, “I never predict what will happen in cricket. We believe in each other and we believe in the process. We will take each game in the right frame of mind.”
There is no doubt that Dhoni, who is renowned for his calmness on the field has resonated his positive energy to the team, which is proved by the fact that the team has managed to remain at the top for more than a year now.
However the Indian skipper puts in that “The past is past” and that they must not dwell in their past. Referring to the India-Bangladesh opener the 29 year old says in that, “I am more optimistic than you.”
Meanwhile Praveen Kumar, who is at the moment in Bengaluru’s National Academy, rehabilitating from his injury , commented on Dhoni’s leadership skills and said that “He is the Obama of cricket.”
Praveen’s sense in making the statement was that Dhoni as a leader is very supportive as well as inspiring just like the charismatic US President.
A similar statement came from Harbhajan Singh, who was at a promotional event, who said that Dhoni is a bowler’s captain. On being asked about India’s chances in the World Cup, Bhajji reiterated his captain’s words, that no team goes into the World Cup with any sort of advantage and that the World Cup is a different ball game all together.
Bhajji was also, all-praise for former captain Sourav Ganguly whom he considers similar in approach to Dhoni, in handling bowlers. He shares that Ganguly knew what to expect from his bowlers and allowed them to set their fields, which is quite similar to the way Dhoni operates.
Whether India perform well or not shall be proved only from the 19th of February, however the players do seem to be carrying the right and positive mind set.
Tags: Cricket, Cricket World Cup, India, Indian Cricket Team, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, MS Dhoni, ODI Series, WC 2011
