Dhoni's greatest innings, or just the beginning?

Nathan Lyon, exhausted and visibly so from the endless amount of bowling he was doing, dragged his legs to the crease and delivered a half-hearted lob to MS Dhoni. Dhoni subsequently punished the ball, smashing it towards long on with the might of the world behind him, but began strolling for a single as David Warner was there to cut it off ahead of the ropes. Warner, among the best fielders of our time, bent down to stop the ball, but instead it banged against his knee and scampered away for a boundary. The next ball, Dhoni played it towards captain Michael Clarke, who did indeed stop it this time but in a fit of frustration, launched his fury onto the ball and into the keeper’s hands and trudged back to his position.

Those were the two balls which defined Australia’s day today. They threw whatever they had, but the retaliation they encountered was tremendous. It’s been a while since the Indian batting line-up decimated an opposition in such an emphatic manner. Watching it once again was a treat for the fans, a ball for the neutral, and an eye-sore for the Aussies. There was no bad bowling. There was tired bowling. India played out the bowlers’ strengths and motivations, and not only have they placed themselves in an envious position, but are probably not going to come out to bat again for the remainder of this match.

What began as the day we all anticipated to see Sachin Tendulkar‘s 101st century, concluded as the day we saw the emergence of a legendary One Day player in the Test arena. This innings was less about Dhoni’s utter dominance over the Australian bowlers, and more about the display of his temperament. Dhoni hit 22 fours and five sixes, but not once did we think he was taking a risk. This could be the innings Dhoni will come to be known for down the years, and could even be counted as one of the best ever in Test cricket.

Dhoni came in at a precarious position. Neither was the team in deep trouble, nor were they charging at the Aussies. India needed stability at the time, and Dhoni provided it with flare and chutzpah. Right from the start, Dhoni asserted his control over the situation and dictated play with his audacious attitude of counter-attacking cricket on a collapsing Chennai wicket. His disposition influenced that of Virat Kohli‘s, whose 107, by far his most matured knock till date, should not be forgotten in the midst of all this Dhoni-furore.

Dhoni blasted balls over long-on, over mid-wicket, through the covers, down the leg side, but never did it all seem like a chaotic offensive move to disturb the Australian balance. It was more poetic, where the runs that flowed off his bat fit into the context of the universe and its working. It’s times like these when you know a certain action turns into an art, and Dhoni was a master today, wielding his bat like there was nothing else that required watching when he was at the crease.

Dhoni has had his fair share of critics over the past one year, particularly to do with his captaincy and Test match abilities. While his leadership skills were nothing to behold in the first innings, the sheer confidence of his batting could zip a few mouths instantly, if not all. Dhoni, the batsman, was never doubted in the Limited Overs format but in the white kit, opinions were more divided and stinging.

Narendra Hirwani picked up 16 wickets in his first Test match, but that didn’t qualify him to be a great bowler. No doubt, Dhoni’s innings is of quality far beyond anything we usually witness. Dhoni is one of those players who you can never completely write off, but the cloud of doubt which hung over him lingered on for far too long for many to be convinced that this is proof of his consistent ability. Dhoni’s taken a gigantic step towards winning back his former admirers, but there’s still a distance left to cover.

Dhoni’s pushed Australia to the brink with his merciless batting. An innings which began with a prospective loss after the fall of the openers in quick time, has turned into an almost one-sided affair thanks to the adventures of MS Dhoni. He has certainly proved a lot of his critics wrong, now he has to make sure he consolidates his position and becomes one of the best batsmen to grace the cricket pitch in all of time. Maybe then, he’ll take off his helmet and acknowledge his worth.