MS Dhoni's 300th ODI: Does MSD have a chance of making it to the 2019 ICC World Cup?

With Team India having pocketed yet another one-day international series, the action now shifts to Colombo as Virat Kohli & Co take on Sri Lanka in the fourth ODI of the five match series on Thursday.

While the remaining two matches have little consequence, much like the entirety of this tour for that matter, Thursday's game holds significance since it'll be the 300th time Mahendra Singh Dhoni will be representing the Indian cricket team in an ODI.

Dhoni has been in the news for much of this on-going limited overs series. The spotlight was placed firmly on him when chief of selectors MSK Prasad emphatically stated that Dhoni isn't an automatic choice for the side anymore. Yuvraj Singh's unceremonious ouster after a poor tour of the West Indies has further shifted focus on MSD's spot in the playing XI going forward.

For Team India, the goal right now is to zero-in on the men who'll take the field when the 2019 ICC World Cup comes calling. The truth is, Yuvraj's presence in the side was acting as a shield for Dhoni. Although these two stalwarts of Indian cricket belong in the same age bracket, it was fairly obvious that Yuvi would be the one to face the axe first. With the southpaw's fate in terms of the next World Cup being quite clear, Dhoni is left more vulnerable than ever.

The Men in Blue pride themselves on being a young, energetic bunch of individuals who, as captain Virat Kohli said, will grow their careers together in the coming years. So where does that leave Dhoni?

The former India captain's long legion of fans gained voice after his match-winning knocks in the second and third ODIs. In vintage MSD fashion, he guided India to victory with unbeaten knocks under tough circumstances.

The fact, however, is that Dhoni isn't the same batsman he was till a few years ago.

After bursting on to the scene in 2004 with his powerful stroke-play, the Ranchi lad climbed his way to the No.1 spot in the ICC rankings because of his ability to set the pace of an innings and play the anchor's role.

However, this facet of Dhoni's game has deserted him in recent times. Earlier, he would deal in singles and take the match deep, before finishing it off with big shots that were hit at will. But now, the struggle to steal singles is far greater, the strike-rate is well below a run a ball, and attempts to clear the ropes more often than not see the ball meeting the slice of the bat. This is, perhaps, the reason why Dhoni has found himself under the cosh at the moment. He takes time to get going and eventually holes out when expected to accelerate.

This brings us to the question of Dhoni's possible successor. Rishabh Pant is one who's spoken of highly. The left-hander's blistering stroke-play reminds many of the Dhoni of old. For all his talent, though, former India opener Virender Sehwag was right when he said that Pant needs more experience and should be considered only post 2019.

KL Rahul, Dinesh Karthik and Kedar Jadhav are the other keeper-bats that could be looked at. All fine batsmen in their own right, but still struggling to cement their place in the scheme of things.

And this is where Dhoni's case gains weight. The fact that there isn't any obvious replacement for him yet.

It is, perhaps, too soon to reckon whether or not Dhoni will find a seat on Team India's flight to England in 2019. But the truth is, that at the moment, he seems to be the best bet.

There is little doubt in the fact that Dhoni is the best wicket-keeper in the world in limited overs cricket. He hardly ever misses a ball, his catching is on point, and his stumping skills are legendary. Unlike Yuvraj, fitness isn't a concern either when it comes to him.

Skipper Kohli is big on defining specific roles for each player. "This coming season gives us an opportunity to define roles for players and give them time to execute it so that for the World Cup, we know exactly what one player needs to do in certain situations," Kohli told mediapersons ahead of second ODI. "And it helps someone like MS also because he doesn't play Test cricket anymore. This long streak of matches will help him be in touch with the international games, find some momentum and stick to it. So it's an opportunity for everyone in the team including MS to create good habits and sustain them over a period of time," he added.

This is precisely what MSD needs going forward - a specific role. And with his fading ball-striking prowess, that role cannot be one that requires him to finish matches walking in late. India has a fairly inexperienced middle-order, but it's full of clean hitters. Perhaps the best position for Dhoni to bat will be at No.5. That way, neither does he have to anchor the innings, nor does he need to walk in and immediately start smashing. At No.5, Dhoni can be the calm Team India needs with aggression coming in ahead of and after him.

Rather than wait for the day he retires, India should cherish these final years of MSD. Which team in the world can boast of having a multiple-World Cup winning captain in their ranks? His inputs on the field to Kohli are well documented, with the skipper often seen taking advice from 'Captain Cool'.

Dhoni playing his 300th ODI is a testament to his consistency. Kohli is known to back his players to the hilt, he needs to do that with MSD and see what the legend produces.

Coach Ravi Shastri summed it up well after Dhoni's exploits in the second ODI against Lanka: "Classic example the other night that experience can't be bought or sold in a market place."