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ShareJohannesburg: MS Dhoni's candour is admirable, but if Indian cricket has to take an upswing after the disappointment of the Champions Trophy, the Indian captain will have to not just identify problems for other people to address, but also provide the decisive thrust himself.
"We made mistakes," Dhoni said after the victory against the West Indies which, alas, was too little too late. I know of several captains who would have sought refuge in excuses. Dhoni braved the media inquisition with calm assurance. But he was unclear about how he could shrug off the listlessness that seems to have gripped his side currently.
His assessment that the team misses an all-rounder is spot on. But just where and how Dhoni hopes to find one in quick time remains unanswered.
Yusuf Pathan, who has been such a wonderful match-winner in Twenty20, looks out of his depth in the 50-over format. Tried and tested Irfan Pathan seems to be completely out of favour of the selectors while young hopeful Abhishek Nayar cannot seem to win the trust of his captain.
There are not too many other all-rounders on the horizon, so Dhoni will have to map out the future with the talent pool at his disposal, not through wishful thinking. And if a quality all-rounder proves elusive, so be it. The show must still go on --- and without lament.
There are several other issues besides the lack of an all-rounder which the captain must be seized of too. India's fielding remains dismally mediocre. Due emphasis on fielding should be his top priority; it would be almost impossible for a poor fielding side to win any major tournament.
The return of Sehwag and Yuvraj will give him a couple of all-round options apart from beefing up the batting and Zaheer's return should bolster the attack which looked so mediocre in South Africa. All three are outstanding players, but lately of suspect fitness and this must worry the captain.
The Twenty20 World Championship exposed the bug in the selection process when quite a few unfit players were chosen, which cost the team dear. Dhoni himself was guilty of being less than hundred per cent fit. Such casualness can be hugely detrimental to the morale of the side, and must stop, irrespective of the reputation of a player.
The 2011 World Cup is still many months away, but time flies and if Dhoni is not alert, India could be playing that tournament under pressure and in self-doubt (as happened in 2007) rather than the confidence which is the hallmark of champion teams. The captain, more than the selectors and the support staff, must take the lead in developing the attributes that are needed for this.
The 'new look' Indian team which was forged under him 18-20 months ago has been considerably revised in personnel with some old-timers back. This means that the back-up strength is still iffy. The more disappointing aspect, however, is that the team is beginning to look jaded and lost.
True, India achieved top status in one day cricket this year, but all too briefly to be convincing that they were indeed world champions. The victory in the tri-series in Sri Lanka was built around a virtuoso performance from Tendulkar, in South Africa the team looked hit less by bad luck than lack of intensity.
Great teams thrive on success and make winning a habit, not an occasional occurrence. Unless the momentum is quickly regained there could be tough times ahead for India. Dhoni had captured the imagination of the cricket world bringing with him fresh ideas and bravado when he first became captain in 2007.
Now may be it's time for cold logic and hard decisions.
