Is Mahendra Singh Dhoni the greatest Indian captain ever?

MS Dhoni

India, a pious country, has one religion in particular that has a billion followers – cricket. So you can only imagine that a captain of the cricket team is worshipped with great devotion, in some cases literally.

A cricketer in India will at times be showered with medals, accolades, love and affection; at times his posters burned and his house vandalized. A captain moreover, will be showered with praise by the media, be regarded as some modern day gladiator in whites when the matches are won; and dissected, humiliated, and blamed with such rancour at losses you’d think he was the biggest mistake BCCI ever made. Captaining India is one the perfect examples of a double-edged sword.

Ask an octogenarian, a 30-something individual and an 18-year-old, who do they think is the best captain India ever had? Chances are, you might not hear the name Mahendra Singh Dhoni on all three occasions. Names likely to be put out there would be something like – Colonel C.K. Nayudu, MAK Pataudi and Sourav Ganguly.

Some of you would frown upon the name C.K. Nayudu. Well, he was the captain of the side in the first ever official Test match India played in 1932, against England in their country. He, despite injuring his hand while taking a catch, was the highest run-scorer for his team, with 40 off 80 balls.

India lost the match despite some superlative bowling against the likes of Jardine and co. Nayudu captained in four Tests – lost three and managed to draw one. All against the mighty British. Can he be considered as the greatest captain of the Indian cricket team?

This query raises some more questions. Like, exactly what are the characteristics of a good captain? What makes a captain successful? The mark of a good captain is in his ability to give results, some might say. Others might point out that in order to be a good captain, he should be a good player first.

A captain’s inclusion in the playing XI should be justified on the back of his contribution towards getting wickets or scoring runs. A captain should have faith in his team and the team should reciprocate by showing faith in the captain. A good captain is one who has a plan ready when they play; a great captain is the one who can improvise on field when things don’t swing their way (pun unintended).

Rotating overs or a batting line-up that brings out the best in the players, and going and taking responsibility head on when needed, boosting the morale of the team players, understanding their psyche and working towards one common goal – winning, are reflective of a great captain’s thinking.

Talking of Indian cricket since the turn of the century, we can look at Sourav Ganguly and Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

Sourav Ganguly – An inspirational leader

Such an enigma on the field, Sourav Ganguly always wore his heart on his sleeve and was never shy of showing his emotions. The on-field arguments with the opposition, the aggression in his batting, the dismay at losing the World Cup final showed his passion for the game and his commitment for the team’s cause. His shirt swaying act at Lord’s gave no hoot about the importance of the place or ‘gentleman’s game’.

Ganguly captained the team when the sense of morality and self righteousness within the team was at its nadir. And like a sorcerer he spun his magic with the backing of the great team he’d built, defying England, winning in Australia and what not. Even if we forget the romance of it all, and focus only on the numbers, he was the most successful Test captain of India, winning 21 matches for the nation.

Yes, he was the most successful captain of India, but not any more.