Saudi FM calls Indian, Pakistani counterparts to discuss developments    Al Hilal thrash Gwangju to reach AFC Champions League Elite semi-finals    Saudi Arabia cracks down on fraudulent Hajj campaigns, urges pilgrims to use official channels    Nammos Amala Resort to open soon with Saudi-Greek designs    Saudi Arabia completes 674 Vision 2030 initiatives, achieves 93% of KPIs as ninth-year milestone marked    Literature Commission inaugurates Saudi Pavilion at Muscat Book Fair    Saudi Minister of Culture holds talks with his Costa Rican counterpart in Jeddah    Alkhorayef praises advancements in Al-Kharj food industries sector    MHRSD: 80% of recruitment offices are non-compliant with regulations    At least 50 Palestinians killed in Israeli strikes across Gaza    Teenage girl killed in French school stabbing attack    Trump claims meeting with China after Beijing denies any trade negotiations    GACA chief chairs 16th meeting of the Steering Committee on aviation's strategy    Saudi Theater Commission launches its Work and Learn Project in UK    The season has begun — and one comment shook us all    Jennifer Lopez dazzles in Jeddah with a Formula 1 performance    Saudi Arabia open to expanded 64-team World Cup in 2034, says sports minister    Average life expectancy in Saudi Arabia rises to78.8 years    Film Commission launches 'Cinema' initiative to enhance content    Famed Philippine film star Nora Aunor dies at 71    Pakistani star's Bollywood return excites fans and riles far right    Veteran Bollywood actor Manoj Kumar dies at 87    Bollywood actress vindicated over boyfriend's death after media hounding    Grand Mufti rules against posting prayers and preaching in mosques on social media    Exotic Taif Roses Simulation Performed at Taif Rose Festival    Asian shares mixed Tuesday    Weather Forecast for Tuesday    Saudi Tourism Authority Participates in Arabian Travel Market Exhibition in Dubai    Minister of Industry Announces 50 Investment Opportunities Worth over SAR 96 Billion in Machinery, Equipment Sector    HRH Crown Prince Offers Condolences to Crown Prince of Kuwait on Death of Sheikh Fawaz Salman Abdullah Al-Ali Al-Malek Al-Sabah    HRH Crown Prince Congratulates Santiago Peña on Winning Presidential Election in Paraguay    SDAIA Launches 1st Phase of 'Elevate Program' to Train 1,000 Women on Data, AI    41 Saudi Citizens and 171 Others from Brotherly and Friendly Countries Arrive in Saudi Arabia from Sudan    Saudi Arabia Hosts 1st Meeting of Arab Authorities Controlling Medicines    General Directorate of Narcotics Control Foils Attempt to Smuggle over 5 Million Amphetamine Pills    NAVI Javelins Crowned as Champions of Women's Counter-Strike: Global Offensive (CS:GO) Competitions    Saudi Karate Team Wins Four Medals in World Youth League Championship    Third Edition of FIFA Forward Program Kicks off in Riyadh    Evacuated from Sudan, 187 Nationals from Several Countries Arrive in Jeddah    SPA Documents Thajjud Prayer at Prophet's Mosque in Madinah    SFDA Recommends to Test Blood Sugar at Home Two or Three Hours after Meals    SFDA Offers Various Recommendations for Safe Food Frying    SFDA Provides Five Tips for Using Home Blood Pressure Monitor    SFDA: Instant Soup Contains Large Amounts of Salt    Mawani: New shipping service to connect Jubail Commercial Port to 11 global ports    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Delivers Speech to Pilgrims, Citizens, Residents and Muslims around the World    Sheikh Al-Issa in Arafah's Sermon: Allaah Blessed You by Making It Easy for You to Carry out This Obligation. Thus, Ensure Following the Guidance of Your Prophet    Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques addresses citizens and all Muslims on the occasion of the Holy month of Ramadan    







Thank you for reporting!
This image will be automatically disabled when it gets reported by several people.



Dhoni has Kumble and Dravid to thank for seamless takeover
Published in The Saudi Gazette on 05 - 11 - 2008

You only have to imagine Vizzy carrying C.K. Nayudu on his shoulders around a cricket stadium or Ajit Wadekar carrying Tiger Pataudi or Sunil Gavaskar carrying Bishan Bedi or Sourav Ganguly carrying Rahul Dravid to realize what an incredible sight it was to see Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the captain-designate giving a lift to Anil Kumble, the man he takes over from.
If no man is a hero to his valet, no Indian captain has been a hero to his successor, and this unique tribute was testimony both to Kumble's place in the team and the new captain's youthful spontaneity. It also provided a clue to the change in the offing - from an undemonstrative, studious captain to one who wears his heart on his sleeve and is a complete natural.
A cricket team tends to reflect the personality of the captain. Kumble came into the job late and led in only 14 Tests, but he injected a large dose of toughness into the side, especially in Australia during the last series where the team rose as one to take on the slings and arrows of outrageous fortune. Sourav Ganguly's India was self-confident and bristling with self-belief, much like the captain himself.
Dhoni has already given us a peep into the next chapter with his marshaling of resources in the three different forms of the game. At 27 he is at the peak of his powers as a player; his contribution to India's victory at Mohali was crucial, his two fifties and the manner he made them leaving no one in any doubt who the boss was. He has that one quality without which no captain should even contemplate the job - luck. He goes with his instinct, and more often than not he succeeds.
Reminded how he got Amit Misra to go round the wicket to dismiss Michael Clark in the last over of the day, he responded: “It was a fluke, my friend.” I cannot think of another captain who would have responded thus. You have to be very secure in who you are to make a crack like that; most captains would have flicked an imaginary speck of dust off the sleeve while trying to look modest.
Kumble played one Test more than Kapil Dev, India's second highest wicket taker but claimed 185 wickets more. That statistic alone puts his contribution in perspective. Kumble was a presence. His contribution in the dressing room to a slew of Indian captains was vital. As younger and younger men took over as captain, Kumble played the grey eminence to perfection, a pillar of strength to the Indian team going through generational changes.
Among recent captains, Dhoni has the least home work to do, thanks to Kumble. Both seniors and juniors respond to him spontaneously. Those who might have a grouse for being passed over - Virender Sehwag and Harbhajan Singh, for instance - know that he is too well established to be rocked easily. In short, he does not have the kind of problems that most incoming Indian captains do. This is partly due to the work of his immediate predecessors Kumble and Rahul Dravid, and partly due to his own personality and record.
In Mohali he showed how capable he is of raising the spirit of the Indian team especially in the field. No one could afford to relax. The fielding in Delhi was atrocious, so that will be Dhoni's first priority - he can start with a special session with Ishant Sharma.
The seamless takeover is unusual in Indian cricket. It has softened the blow of losing a captain in the middle of a series. Ever since he took over, Dhoni has looked the part. Now he finally gets to be captain both on and off the field. He started right, by demonstrating that rare mixture of love and admiration for his predecessor. __


Clic here to read the story from its source.