End of honeymoon for Dhoni

If anything, you got to hand it to Dhoni for admitting that from here on, it would be a test of character not just for himself as an individual but also the entire team. Getting knocked out of the T20 World Cup last night at Lord's was indeed an embarrassment and a reality check for the hyped up (but not pumped up) Indian team that was expected to successfully defend the title. But then, a lot of water has flown under the bridge since those happy days of 2007 when Dhoni led to triumph in South Africa.

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In fact, that was the beginning of Dhoni's honeymoon period as a player and then a captain. He seemed to have the Midas touch about him and swept on by the euphoria in the wake of his stunning deeds, it was taken for granted that Dhoni could no wrong. However, the recent defeats in T20 and his inability to carry the Chennai Super Kings team in the IPL-2 despite boasting a strong team besides his repeated failures as a big-hitter have contributed to a sharp decline in his cricketing (certainly not endorsements!) fortunes.

Yes, the honeymoon is over for Dhoni and he can expect to come under increasing scrutiny. Of course like all of us, he has changed over the past couple of years and suddenly, the captaincy seems to weigh heavily on him. Some of his decisions have been rather strange to say the least, like the one last night when he promoted Jadeja when either he himself or Yuvraj was the better choice. Also, the omission of Irfan Pathan, a better batsman than the man he was replaced with, RP Singh, was another strange move that further pulled down the team.

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No doubt, Dhoni was man enough to shoulder the blame and responsibility for India's premature exit from the T20 World Cup, but I am sure, that heart of hearts, he would know that the team was ill-prepared for the tournament. Besides the wretched issue over Sehwag that cast a shadow, the non-stop cricket from the tour by Australia last year to Lord's last night has been a bit too much. The huge amount of international travel, from India to New Zealand back to India to South Africa, back to India and on to England has been a killer and it showed at the World Cup.

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Having said that, I would endorse former England captain and now a commentator Nasser Hussain's view that the Indian batsmen were thoroughly exposed in conditions that afforded movement besides their well-known inability in handling the short balls. England bowlers did a fine job of it as they peppered the Indians with "perfume balls" that had the batsmen hopping around like jack rabbits. Caught in the sniper fire, it was no surprise that the Indians succumbed.

It is one thing to gloat over our performances at home and on the sub-continental pitches where big runs are more a rule than exception. But the IPL in South Africa and now the World Cup drove home the point that by and large, Indian batsmen are ill-equipped to bat in conditions other than at home. Fine, there have been the odd victory abroad, a few stirring performances in Australia and some outstanding batting displays, but these have never been consistent enough for us to believe that Indian cricketers have come of age.

The other day, Tendulkar said the Indian cricketers have become better travelers. I am not sure he was referring to our skills at shopping or cricket. In these days of hi-tech gadgets, a player gets sorted out double quick. So, the onus is on the individual player to continue working on his shortcomings rather than gloat over his performances.

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Tendulkar himself is a great example of a player evolving with age and keeping up with the times. That he has lasted for 20 years and looking good enough for a couple of more seasons is a testimony to not just his undoubted class and caliber but also his willingness to adapt.

For sure, Dhoni will have to negotiate a few more difficult weeks before returning home for some rest (provided his agents let him be) as he and the team are off to the West Indies for some meaningless ODI series to play four matches over seven days immediately after the World Cup. I wouldn't believe that Dhoni overnight has become a bad captain, rather, I would hope that he is wiser for the experience. At the end of the day, it is best to remember that cricket is a great leveler and certainly, Dhoni has a reason to agree.

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