The last time Mahendra Singh Dhoni played in India colours, he scored 69 runs and took one catch as the Indians defeated Bangladesh in the final match of the three-match series in June.
India had already lost the series by that point but it was vital they got one win under the belt and Dhoni’s boys did enough to restore some pride.
However, Indian cricket has moved ahead at a furious pace since that match three months ago.
– India: MS Dhoni returns to captain side against South Africa
– India: Afridi urges Pakistan to seek alternative opponents
– India: Ishant Sharma’s ‘natural talent’ has made things hard
Their historic series win in Sri Lanka ushered in a new era in Indian cricket. It gave them their first away Test series win in four years and gave Virat Kohli’s Test captaincy a seal of approval in the eyes of the fans.
Kohli had been earmarked as the future captain of the team but until he got a major win under his belt, doubts would have persisted whether the 26-year-old had taken over from Dhoni too soon.
But Kohli’s leadership during the Sri Lanka series was just what one expects from a confident young captain, marshalling his resources astutely and orchestrating a series win after losing the first Test. Every member of the unit delivered at some point in the series, including the replacements and it was a total team effort.
India had moved on from Dhoni the Test player without any hiccup. And even though he is captain of the ODI and T20 teams, it feels as if the team has already made plans for the future once Dhoni puts his gloves down for good.
On Sunday, Indian selectors picked the ODI and T20 teams that will take on the might of South Africa starting next month. It is no doubt a big series for a young Indian team looking to take on the best in the world.
However, there is arguably more at stake for Dhoni than any other player in the squad. While the younger players will be busy establishing themselves in the squad and the more experienced ones likes Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane and Ravichandran Ashwin looking to lead the way with the bat and ball, it’s Dhoni who will have to play catch-up with the rest.
INTERVIEW: Watch @gurkeeratmann22 speak about his #TeamIndia selection, @msdhoni, Dravid http://t.co/2pjmTwKgve #IndvsSA
— BCCI (@BCCI) September 20, 2015
And the 34-year-old needs to hit top gear from the word go because this series is being seen as an audition of sorts for the World T20 that will be held in India in March next year. Dhoni wants to be a part of that side and even though he has tasted immense success in the limited overs format – wining the 50-over World Cup, the World T20 and the ICC Champions Trophy – there will be some pressure on Dhoni to reassert himself.
India have already had a glimpse of the future and it looks thoroughly exciting with Kohli, Rahane, Rohit Sharma and Shikhar Dhawan looking like forming the nucleus of a powerful batting unit.
The rise of Ashwin and the vast improvement made by Ishant Sharma, at least in Tests, has given Indian bowling a decisive edge and if the exciting yet erratic quick Umesh Yadav finds his feet, the Indian team will be a force to reckon with.
It’s up to Dhoni to show that he is still relevant to the Indian team. The management has had a look at other wicketkeeping options in the form of Wriddhiman Saha, Naman Ojha and Sanju Samson across formats and the ageing star knows the replacements are ready to take over.
However, this does not mean Dhoni’s spot is under imminent threat. But he will be under some pressure to show that he has enough fire in the belly to last until the World T20 in March. If not, then India already know what Plan B is and they can implement it whenever they want.
Not a lot of options
Pakistan all-rounder Shahid Afridi asked his board to not push India for a bilateral series. The 35-year-old said that if the Indians are unwilling to play Pakistan, there are other big teams out there who can fill the void and help the board generate revenue.
While the lack of India-Pakistan encounters is apparent, what has gone under the radar is the fact that the other ‘big teams’ that Afridi is talking about have also not been very accommodating when it comes to Pakistan.
Australia and England, part of the big three that are basically calling the shots in world cricket, have not hosted Pakistan for a Test series in five years now.
The two teams have played in the UAE but a full home series against Pakistan hasn’t happened since the spot-fixing infested Lord’s Test of 2010.
It’s only in 2016 that Pakistan will get to travel to England.
Bilateral series nowadays are agreed to almost entirely on financial considerations and Pakistan have generally failed on that count as they are not seen as box office material anymore.
So while Afridi may be correct in asking the Pakistan board to look at other options, they are very few and far between.
Maybe the Pakistan Super League T20 tournament can be the saviour.
