As Mahendra Singh Dhoni struggles with bat, it's time to look at options

With Mahendra Singh Dhoni, one can never be sure.

After India went down by eight wickets to England in the third ODI at Headingley, Leeds, on Tuesday and surrender the three-match ODI series 1-2, Dhoni took the match ball from English umpire Michael Gough on the way back to the dressing room. Captain Virat Kohli, walking in front of Dhoni, turned around to witness the match ball exchange hands.

Now, one can't remember Dhoni ever collecting a match ball, though he has picked up stumps as souvenirs after momentous victories.

What does it mean? Difficult to say. But, his action on Tuesday was enough to keep Twitterati busy the whole day speculating that his retirement from ODIs was on the cards.

As much as one would prefer Dhoni to retire on a high and see his final hurrah in the 2019 World Cup, Dhoni's current form does not give him the chance to do so. It was painful to see him struggling to pace his innings like he used to. Even until the recent IPL when he, in his calm, collected manner, took things till the end and snatched victory from the jaws of defeat once too often, targetting the right bowlers for the big overs.

But, Dhoni's slow scoring rate is becoming frequent. Just after Joe Root scored a crisp century, the Indians struggled in their run chase at Lord's in the second ODI. Dhoni was made the culprit for failing to put bat to ball and defending when the need of the hour was to pace the innings.

The situation was similar in the deciding ODI, though India were batting first. But, as much as India struggled against the leg-spin of Adil Rashid, India's bright wrist-spin twins Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal could not make any impression on Root and Eoin Morgan. Did the Headingley pitch behave differently this time when England chased?

While there is no doubt about Dhoni's ability behind the stumps, it is becoming increasingly a topic for debate if Dhoni should retire from ODIs or extend his career in this format until he decides to step aside. Long gone are the days when wicketkeepers retained their places for only their wicketkeeping skills.

The call for his retirement from ODIs is growing daily with every struggling innings in the ODI. Perhaps, he is overstaying in this format, though he is the last person who would be willing to do so. Captain Virat Kohli, coach Ravi Shastri and the rest of the Indian management would swear by Dhoni that he must be a central figure to India's 2019 World Cup campaign in England and that he should step down on his own.

But, with the number of painstaking innings in the recent times, it will not do him, and Indian cricket, any favour. Legendary England batsman Patsy Hendren was of the belief that one should retire "when he is good enough to play on, and people should ask 'why now, and not why not now'". It was a sentiment former India batsman Vijay Merchant advocated. "Retire when people ask why and not when", Merchant used to say.

Looking at Dhoni, one cannot help but remember Merchant's and Hendren's retirement mantras.

Though one may not desire Dhoni calls it a day any time soon, it is better he make a decision like he did with Tests in Australia in 2014-15 and not extend his career for the sake of hanging around. He could be an asset as a mentor to the team.

For all that he has achieved for Indian cricket, being a selfless cricketer, a match-winner with his tactics as a captain, guiding India to their global titles in all formats, being a flashy gloveman who whipped the bails even before one could bat an eyelid, one does not want to see the Jharkhand man struggle for runs and be booed on his way back to the pavilion.

It is a fact that Dhoni is ageing. At 37, he is fighting himself to stay fit, and he could be among the fittest in the Indian team. While his reflexes behind the stumps have not diminished one bit, it is with the bat that he is struggling on pitches when the Englishmen are scoring runs at will.

The Indian think-tank has about 15 or so ODIs from now till the World Cup to groom a wicketkeeper. Rishabh Pant, Dinesh Karthik or even KL Rahul (when they could make Rahul Dravid keep wickets to get that additional batsman or bowler, why not his younger namesake?) could be given the long rope. They may not be as flashy as Dhoni behind the wicket but will not be bad either. And, they all score at a rapid pace, or at least will not be as slow as Dhoni has come to become of late.

It is a call that the Indian management will have to take soon, whether to have Dhoni only for his wicketkeeping brilliance and experience, and at the expense of his slow batting, or to have a decent wicketkeeper who can keep the scoring going at a faster pace.

Yes, with Dhoni one can never be sure.

DHONI IN RECENT ODIS THAT INDIA LOST