Under Mahendra Singh Dhoni's leadership, India have reached the pinnacle of world cricket since their disastrous 2007 World Cup campaign in the West Indies.
India versus Pakistan (2005) - Vishakapatnam ODI
19th over...Ganguly departs!
Pakistani pacer Mohammad Sami has just unleashed a jaffa, which sends Sourav Ganguly's stumps cartwheeling. As the boisterous Vizag crowd is lulled into deep silence, Ganguly walks off in a huff, with Pakistan's players resembling a swarm of killer bees, ready to sting India at the word go.
India have slumped to 140 for 3 and Ganguly's dismissal is clear indication that Pakistan have rolled back into the contest.
Earlier, Virender Sehwag had hammered the Pakistani pacers to pulp with a blitzkreig 74, and as Ganguly heads back to the dressing room, an unknown lad from Jharkand walks in and takes guard to bravely face the firing line!
The name is Dhoni...MS Dhoni!
Dhoni destroyed Pakistan in the Vizag ODI! (getty images)
Most of the Vizag crowd on that fateful day of April 5 must not even have known who the quaint wicket-keeper batsman was, as he jaunts in to face thunder bolts from the Pakistan pace battery.
Faint memories existed of the wavy-haired Dhoni performing poorly in the previous series against a sub-standard Bangladesh, and as Sami steams in full throttle to torpedo another one of his fire-balls...dust spirals ominously around the stadium...with the crowd watching on in anticipation!
Carnage in Vizag!
The crowd witnesses destructive batsmanship at its finest, as Dhoni takes the Pakistani attack by the scruff of their necks and slams them all around the ground.
Cut...Pull..hook...'helicopter'...and what not is exhibited, as Dhoni knocks out the punch-drunk Pakistani pacers in a space of 155 minutes!
Memories arise of Sachin Tendulkar's 'sandstorm' knock in 1998, and as Dhoni does a virtual action-replay in Vizag, Pakistan left wondering what really hit them!
15 fours and four sixes rain from Dhoni's willow and as the crowd goes ballistic, Pakistan have just been reduced to rubble by a relative rookie!
By the time Dhoni is dismissed by Mohammed Hafeez for 148, India have reached 289 for 4, with the match out of Pakistan's sights.
Dhoni walks back to the dressing room to thunderous applause, and as the Indian media go on overdrive...a star has well and truly been born!
Winds of change in Indian cricket
That match saw the rise of one of India's finest ever ODI cricketers and an eventual captain, one who could deliver the goods even in a cauldron-like situation.
The Vizag century propelled Dhoni to instant stardom and made him the darling of Indian masses.
Even the great Tendulkar remained in awe of Dhoni post the Vizag knock, and had touted him to lead the Indian side in the near future.
Dhoni helped India win the 2006 ODI series in Pakistan (getty images)
Runs flew off Dhoni's bat as India had unearthed a world-class batsman who had the ability to leave the opposition in smithereens in ODI matches.
Sri Lanka were dismantled by Dhoni's 183 at the Jaipur ODI in 2005, which proves that his Vizag knock was no fluke.
Pakistan once again bore the brunt of Dhoni's fiery batting, when India subsequently toured them in 2006, and clinched the ODI series 4-1.
Dhoni displayed amazing composure in thrilling run-chases at Lahore and Karachi, as he belted out quick-fire knocks of 72 and 77, which allowed India to tame their traditional rival in their own backyard.
As Dhoni's run-meter started ticking, it was all but clear that India had found the right man to lead the side in the future ODI conquests.
Dark days: India's disastrous run in 2007!
Indian cricket plumetted to a new low in 2007, when the side were walloped 4-0 by South Africa away, with Dhoni managing only 139 runs in four outings.
If Dhoni found Andre Nel and Makhaya Ntini a bit too hot to handle, then what was to follow in the upcoming World Cup in West Indies, would leave a black mark on his cricketing resume.
Nightmare in West Indies!
The 2007 World Cup in the Carribbean turned Indian cricket on its head, as the side crashed out in the group stages itself after humiliating losses to Bangladesh and Sri Lanka.
The entire team looked in disarray throughout the tournament, with Dhoni managing a mere 29 runs in three matches.
India endured a humiliating exit in the 2007 World Cup (getty images)
As India mourned at their latest cricketing crucification, Dhoni had his Ranchi house vandalised by hardline political activists, in the aftermath of the World Cup exit.
Dhoni had just experienced the ugly side of Indian cricket, and as he made the long hard journey back to the country, the axiom - 'With great power comes great responsibility', aptly seemed to represent his predicament!
Captaincy and redemption - T20 World Cup 2007
After the Carribbean fiasco, another World Cup was around the corner, and this time it was the horter format- T-20 version, in which India were to compete for the first ever time.
Bad memories were quickly erased as India had set their sights on the tournament in South Africa, with Dhoni being entrusted the responsibility to lead a young side, who had no clue on how to adapt to the ultra short version of the game.
Though India's first game against Scotland was a wash-out, what transpired in the next few games forever propeled Dhoni amongst the league of Indian cricketing greats!
Right from their thrill-a-minute bowl out win against Pakistan, Dhoni transformed a beleagured bunch into a pack of win-hungry hounds, who would snap back, irrespective of the the opposition.
India beat Pakistan in a memorable final of the 2007 T-20 World Cup (getty images)
If England were blown away by Yuvraj Singh's six sixes, then Dhoni brought out the best in RP Singh, who skittled out South Africa to pave India's path to the semi-final.
Australia were awaiting, and Dhoni once again showed his canny leadership abilities, as he and an in-form Yuvraj, put the Aussies to sword to set up a final date with Pakistan.
And the rest as they say is history as Dhoni helped India clinch their maiden T-20 World Cup trophy on that memorable day of September 24 in Johannesburg, sending an entire nation into ecstacy.
As Sreesanth held on to the catch proffered by Misbah-ul-Haq's maddening scoop shot, Dhoni had etched his name in cricketing folk-lore, with the country winning a World Cup for the first time since 1983.
So as Dhoni and his victorious bunch were given a heroic reception in Mumbai post that triumph, the skipper was left pleasantly wondering as to how the cricketing gods had finally smiled in his favour!
Glory years - The 2011 World Cup and 2013 Champions Trophy
Everyone knows about that glorious night of April 2 at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai, when Dhoni smashed a six off Sri Lanka's Nuwan Kulasekara and helped India lift win the ICC Cricket World Cup for the first time since 1983.
Under Dhoni's shrewd leadership, India swam past a posse of opponents to set up a final date with Sri Lanka.
Dhoni had just helped Tendulkar add the one missing trophy to his glittering cabinet and in the process also firmly etched his name amongst Indian cricket's all-time great leaders.
As Mumbai's streets were clogged with people celebrating the victory like never before, Dhoni had just made a statement- Indian cricket was on the rise once again, and also brought to fore an aggressive brand of leadership.
India won the 2011 World Cup on home soil thanks to Dhoni's heroics (getty images)
Even the 2013 Champions Trophy win in England proved that India were no spring chickens, when it came to winning tournaments abroad, and under Dhoni's wardship the team had progressed from an under-confident bunch to world beaters.
The only blemish on Dhoni's stellar achievements would of course be his mixed overseas record as Test skipper, a fact which has hung like a monkey on his back.
Though only time will tell as to whether Dhoni would finally break the jinx and turn around India's fortunes in future overseas test series', the fact remains that the the team has done a volte-face since those dark days in the Carribbean, and have firmly established their name as high calibre opposition.
And the legend would continue, if Dhoni does the impossible and guides India to victory in the upcoming Boxing Day test at Melbourne against Australia, which would hammer home a point to doubting thomases!
Mr Dhoni...you can definitely take a bow now!
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