The victorious Indian cricketers have started trickling into the country after being on the road for more than a month during which they lifted the ICC Champions Trophy and won the ODI tri-series in the West Indies.
“Its nice to be back at home after two months, but bad thing is its difficult to adjust the timing!!,” tweeted pacer Ishant Sharma upon his return to the city.
Batsman Rohit Sharma, who flourished after being promoted to the opening slot, touched down in Mumbai. “Touched down in Mumbai finally and such a warm welcome at d airport,really thrilled to see d smile on people’s face..Fantastic 2 months!,” he tweeted.
The cricketers enjoyed an unbeaten run in the Champions Trophy before lifting the trophy, beating England in the final. They headed straight to the West Indies after that and after a couple of losses, bounced back to emerge triumphant over the home team and Sri lanka.
Skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, who has been rested from the upcoming series against Zimbabwe, has taken a break and is on a holiday, reportedly in london.
Former Test batsman VVS laxman was effusive in his praise for Dhoni. “His records (of winning all the world titles) speak for himself. He has that uniqueness to respond to a tough situation with ease. He does not involve himself much emotionally, and that’s his quality. India are lucky to have a captain like Dhoni,” laxman said on the sidelines of a function in Kolkata.
However, he refused to draw comparisons between Dhoni and former skipper Sourav Ganguly.
Former chief selector Kiran More also praised Dhoni’s leadership and hailed him as one of the best captains the country has produced. “Dhoni....He is so smart and reads the game well. He has got his own ideas and believes in his team and himself and that is what makes him a good captain. He has got plan A, plan B, plan C ready with him. He has a young team and he is backing them up. There is a daring in him and he takes chances.
like his successor Dilip Vengsarkar had done, More hailed Dhoni as an outstanding finisher of a match. “He is a finisher and comes to bat at number six or seven, which is the most difficult position. He is street smart and he reads the game well. He knows what is going to happen from the first ball till the fiftieth over. He knows all his equations and implements his plans well and that is why he is so successful,” he said.
The former India stumper brushed aside the idea of split captaincy. “I don’t think we need split captaincy at the moment. Dhoni is doing a brilliant job. I believe he is a captain who carries the team so well. All the players respect him. The way he has handled the Indian team in the last five to six years has been brilliant. For me he is one of the greatest captains India has ever produced,” he said.
Ravindra Jadeja’s emergence as an allrounder and Shikhar Dhawan’s batting prowess at the top have been two positives for the Indian cricket and laxman feels it’s Dhoni who should be credited for finding a talent like Jadeja.
“Dhoni backed him well especially as a bowler. He is also a great fielder and a handy batsman. Jadeja has emerged as a great asset to the Indian team and Dhoni should be complemented,” he said.
Talking about Dhawan, laxman said: “I mentored him during his stint at (IPl franchise) Sunrisers Hyderabad. He always had the talent and his change in approach is working well for him.”
Shikhar and Rohit’s exploits at the top might have sealed the opening slot for now but More is wary of dismissing the comeback chances of senior batsmen Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir.
“Competition is a healthy sign for Indian cricket. There is a good healthy competition going on. Whoever performs will be in the team. If somebody is unfit then Gambhir or Sehwag, or (even) Zaheer Khan, can walk in,” More said.