How long can Dhoni keep and captain? : Leading from behind.

[J P K]

Mahendra Singh Dhoni appeared in line to gather the ball. The sphere swung at the last moment and the Indian captain dropped what looked like a regulation ÃÕake'. This was a common sight in England this summer during India's 4-0 drubbing in the Test series. Dhoni struggled to cope with the dynamics of the moving ball with the big gloves. Former India wicketkeeper Nayan Mongia, arguably the last natural 'keeper to represent the country, sympathised with Dhoni's plight. The 41-year-old Mongia, who toured England with the Indian team in '96, told The Hindu: Ŭeeping wickets to pacemen in England can be as hard as standing up to spinners in the sub-continent. The ball does funny things in the air even after it passes the stumps. There is cloud cover, the atmosphere is heavy, the outfield is lush green and there invariably is a stiff breeze blowing across the ground. And to make a 'keeper's job more demanding, the nature of the light on the field keeps changing. Mongia said it was easier for him to bring about the necessary changes in his technique since India played a welter of first class practice games ahead of the Test series in the Old Blighty. Ūnitially even I had difficulties, since we Indians are not used to these conditions, but the chinks were ironed out in the side matches. In England, it is very, very important to play these games before a Test series. Sadly, Dhoni did not get the opportunity to adapt and his confidence levels dropped as the series progressed.Ǽ/B] Adjustments What were the technical adjustments that a 'keeper needed to make in England? Mongia, who scored 1,442 runs at 24.03, took 99 catches and effected eight stumpings in 44 Tests, replied: ŵhere is late swing, both away and inwards. The ball wobbles in the air. A 'keeper needs to keep the ball under his eye. And his shoulders have to be flexible and not stiff as he has to change directions with the ball. I felt Dhoni's shoulders were stiff and this was the principal reason for his problems as a 'keeper in the English conditions.Ǽ/B] Enabling the ball to ease into his gloves is the hallmark of a genuine 'keeper. Mongia said, Å¢ 'keeper needs to be in a crouching position and his weight, equally distributed, should rest on his toes. It's vital that he gets up with the ball. While gathering, a 'keeper's fingers should be pointing towards the ground and not at the ball. He has to watch the ball all the way into his gloves, collect with soft hands, he explained. He also emphasised on reflexes. Ŧven if you get the technical aspect rights, your reflexes still need to be good as you grapple with the ball's unexpected behaviour. The ball swinging away from you late can be particularly difficult to gather. It is here that you need to be quick, dynamic and have the spring in your feet. If you follow the right methods, you have a better chance of success in such conditions. Mongia said, Ūn Australia and South Africa, a 'keeper can get up a little early because of the extra bounce. This is not the case in England. ÃÂ¥honi has improved' Dhoni, who has 3,242 runs at 38.14, 173 catches and 25 stumpings from 61 Tests, had improved as a 'keeper since his early days, says Mongia. Ã…Â¥espite a disappointing series in England, he has evolved as a 'keeper, is safe with the big gloves. But this series has been a setback for him. Mongia was impressed with Matt Prior he made 271 runs at a stunning 67.75 runs apart from 'keeping efficiently for most part of the recently concluded Test series. In 47 Tests, Prior has 2,549 runs at a laudable 44.71 apart from 144 catches and six stumpings. űrior's 'keeping has really come on. He is doing the job with better technique and greater self-belief, added Mongia. The former India stumper said the BCCI should consider appointing a wicketkeeping coach or a consultant for the team who could stay with the side during a series at home or abroad. Ūt is a specialist job. Keeping wickets with minimum errors can be very, very critical to the fortunes of a side. It has also been a much neglected area. You need a 'keeping coach for the National side And who is the most promising young wicketkeeper on the Indian scene? Ū think it is Wriddhiman Saha. I watched him in domestic matches and was impressed by the flow in his 'keeping, the quality of his gathering while standing back to the pacemen or standing up to the spinners. He seems to have quick hands, Mongia said. Mongia also believed Dhoni would fight back. Å©e is mentally strong and can take setbacks in his stride, he said. The issue of 'keeping wicket, rightly, is once again in the centre-stage. http://www.thehindu.com/sport/cricket/article2393545.ece

[sarcastic]

Nayan Mongia on MSD's Wicket-keeping http://www.thehindu.com/sport/cricket/article2393545.ece The challenges of 'keeping in England Mahendra Singh Dhoni appeared in line to gather the ball. The sphere swung at the last moment and the Indian captain dropped what looked like a regulation ÃÕake'. This was a common sight in England this summer during India's 4-0 drubbing in the Test series. Dhoni struggled to cope with the dynamics of the moving ball with the big gloves. Former India wicketkeeper Nayan Mongia, arguably the last natural 'keeper to represent the country, sympathised with Dhoni's plight. The 41-year-old Mongia, who toured England with the Indian team in '96, told The Hindu: Ŭeeping wickets to pacemen in England can be as hard as standing up to spinners in the sub-continent. The ball does funny things in the air even after it passes the stumps. There is cloud cover, the atmosphere is heavy, the outfield is lush green and there invariably is a stiff breeze blowing across the ground. And to make a 'keeper's job more demanding, the nature of the light on the field keeps changing. Mongia said it was easier for him to bring about the necessary changes in his technique since India played a welter of first class practice games ahead of the Test series in the Old Blighty. Ūnitially even I had difficulties, since we Indians are not used to these conditions, but the chinks were ironed out in the side matches. In England, it is very, very important to play these games before a Test series. Sadly, Dhoni did not get the opportunity to adapt and his confidence levels dropped as the series progressed. Adjustments What were the technical adjustments that a 'keeper needed to make in England? Mongia, who scored 1,442 runs at 24.03, took 99 catches and effected eight stumpings in 44 Tests, replied: ŵhere is late swing, both away and inwards. The ball wobbles in the air. A 'keeper needs to keep the ball under his eye. And his shoulders have to be flexible and not stiff as he has to change directions with the ball. I felt Dhoni's shoulders were stiff and this was the principal reason for his problems as a 'keeper in the English conditions. Enabling the ball to ease into his gloves is the hallmark of a genuine 'keeper. Mongia said, Å¢ 'keeper needs to be in a crouching position and his weight, equally distributed, should rest on his toes. It's vital that he gets up with the ball. While gathering, a 'keeper's fingers should be pointing towards the ground and not at the ball. He has to watch the ball all the way into his gloves, collect with soft hands, he explained. He also emphasised on reflexes. Ŧven if you get the technical aspect rights, your reflexes still need to be good as you grapple with the ball's unexpected behaviour. The ball swinging away from you late can be particularly difficult to gather. It is here that you need to be quick, dynamic and have the spring in your feet. If you follow the right methods, you have a better chance of success in such conditions. Mongia said, Ūn Australia and South Africa, a 'keeper can get up a little early because of the extra bounce. This is not the case in England. ÃÂ¥honi has improved' Dhoni, who has 3,242 runs at 38.14, 173 catches and 25 stumpings from 61 Tests, had improved as a 'keeper since his early days, says Mongia. Ã…Â¥espite a disappointing series in England, he has evolved as a 'keeper, is safe with the big gloves. But this series has been a setback for him. Mongia was impressed with Matt Prior he made 271 runs at a stunning 67.75 runs apart from 'keeping efficiently for most part of the recently concluded Test series. In 47 Tests, Prior has 2,549 runs at a laudable 44.71 apart from 144 catches and six stumpings. űrior's 'keeping has really come on. He is doing the job with better technique and greater self-belief, added Mongia. The former India stumper said the BCCI should consider appointing a wicketkeeping coach or a consultant for the team who could stay with the side during a series at home or abroad. Ūt is a specialist job. Keeping wickets with minimum errors can be very, very critical to the fortunes of a side. It has also been a much neglected area. You need a 'keeping coach for the National side. And who is the most promising young wicketkeeper on the Indian scene? Ū think it is Wriddhiman Saha. I watched him in domestic matches and was impressed by the flow in his 'keeping, the quality of his gathering while standing back to the pacemen or standing up to the spinners. He seems to have quick hands, Mongia said. Mongia also believed Dhoni would fight back. Å©e is mentally strong and can take setbacks in his stride, he said. The issue of 'keeping wicket, rightly, is once again in the centre-stage.

[J P K]

http://www.indiancricketfans.com/showthread.php?t=270872

[sarcastic]

http://www.indiancricketfans.com/showthread.php?t=270872

sorry... did not notice!!!

[Crookbond]

Sore hands affecting Dhoni's keeping - Nixon http://www.espncricinfo.com/england-v-india-2011/content/current/story/530113.html

Paul Nixon, the former England wicketkeeper, believes that India captain MS Dhoni has "sore hands" which could be affecting his wicketkeeping on the ongoing England tour. "I have been watching and studying the way he is keeping. From what I have seen I think he has sore hands," Nixon said. "He normally catches the ball strong and aggressively. I have seen him keeping the ball in an exaggerated manner. You do that as a keeper when your hands are sore." Dhoni came to England in 2007 on India's previous tour as a wicketkeeper-batsman, unburdened by leadership duties. It was his first trip to England and he was keen to learn the right habits from the likes of Nixon, who, at 40, is still keeping wicket for Leicestershire. "We looked at certain body positions and did a few drills," Nixon said. A combination of a relentless schedule, captaincy duties and, importantly, questionable positioning behind the stumps culminated into Dhoni committing frequent mistakes during India's 4-0 defeat to England in the Pataudi Trophy. Embarrassingly, Dhoni missed some easy takes while his indecision to go for catches at times affected the slip fielders. In a way it also had an impact on his batting when he could muster only two half-centuries in eight innings. Nixon, a veteran of 22 first-class seasons with stints at Kent, Leicester and briefly England, could only sympathise with Dhoni. "England is one of the toughest places in the world to keep because of the conditions and pitches mainly. The touring is relentless, and as a captain you have other things to do rather than go on a little bit of practice after the odd game," Nixon said, adding, however, that there was always a way out. "That is when you need good guys around you to say, 'come on, let's go and do a bit of (keeping).' Because most times you sacrifice yourself and say, 'I will be alright,' and that is the type of character Dhoni is. He is a giver and a magnificent character." Dhoni skipped the optional training session today and decided to travel to Old Trafford to watch the Premiership football game between his favourite club Manchester United and Arsenal. Nixon said that if their "paths cross tomorrow" he would be more than happy to have a chat again with Dhoni. "He is a strong character, has got a lot of pride. I am intrigued to talk to him tomorrow."

[Trichromatic]

Dhoni needs a break. Selectors should have rested him. He is working like a donkey. Kitna khatayenge use.

[Sid]

How long can Dhoni keep and captain? : Leading from behind. Leading from behind History suggests it is impossible to do both, mind sore hands and fields for a long period. Rashid Latif and Adam Gilchrist, two adept multi-taskers in their time, weigh in

High and bullet-like to his left," Wisden described it. Pakistan were favourites to win the Lord's ODI when they had reduced England's chase of 230 to 154 for 6 in the 36th over. Shoaib Akhtar was in rhythm that June afternoon in 2003, bowling fast; "extra-fast", as Wisden observed. Then the edge, high and bullet-like, to the left of Rashid Latif, was dropped, and the beneficiary, Marcus Trescothick, saw England home. Latif remembers the drop clearly. It was the last of the 25 ODIs he captained Pakistan in, to go with six Tests. "We were winning that match," Latif says. "Shoaib Akhtar was very quick that day. Still, I was surprised I dropped that catch. It wasn't a difficult chance, and there were very few catches I dropped. "I kept thinking about it till I went back to the mark next ball. Then I realised I hadn't stood there when I dropped the catch. I had been closer to the stumps than usual. I had been setting the field and had walked towards the stumps. I was so involved in doing that that I ended up standing too far in front for the next delivery. Trescothick nicked, I couldn't judge it, it hit the hand, and fell out." This may be a rare case but it's definitely the sort of thing selectors have in mind when they try to keep wicketkeepers away from captaincy. The numbers are instructive. MS Dhoni's 32 Tests as a keeper-captain are well ahead of next man Gerry Alexander's 18. Only nine wicketkeepers have managed to captain their sides in 10 Tests. The ICC may have selected him as keeper-captain of their Test team of the year, but Kumar Sangakkara never kept wickets when captaining Sri Lanka, even if it meant handing over the gloves to the lesser-adept Tillakaratne Dilshan. Latif's example might sound a bit extreme but he uses it because, well, it exists. The less conspicuous issues are greater in number. A wicketkeeper's stock work, especially in Tests, usually starts when everybody else begins to switch off. Every ball is an event that builds up slowly. The bowler runs in, the fielders take steps forward, the batsman concentrates on the ball in the bowler's hand, the non-striker and the umpire become alert, even the worst commentators shut up. The ball is pitched outside off, the batsman shoulders arms, and switches off. The fielders relax, the bowler starts thinking of the next delivery, the umpire and the non-striker relax; the commentators think of a joke, a statistic, an observation. According to stories told affectionately by Pakistani cricketers, Inzamam-ul-Haq could even doze off. The captain starts thinking where the game is going, whether he needs a bowling or a fielding change. If the keeper is the captain, the moment represents, to loosely use a term in vogue, a conflict of interest. A keeper's job is to stay blank, concentrate on the ball, rise from his squat as it passes the stumps, and collect it sweetly, in the middle-third of the palm. The margin of error is miniscule. If the timing is even slightly off, it can hurt the fingers. You can't afford to have your mind elsewhere then. Especially in places like England, where the ball swings late, or when the bounce is variable. The hands get sore if collections are even slightly off; the fingers get bruised. And it takes only the odd unclean collection to start a chain. Paul Nixon recently observed of Dhoni: "I have been watching and studying the way he is keeping. From what I have seen, I think he has sore hands. He normally catches the ball strong and aggressively. I have seen him keeping the ball in an exaggerated manner. You do that as a keeper when your hands are sore." There is a vicious cycle here. The hands become sore, so you are not relaxed while collecting, and thus you leave yourself open to further soreness and bruises. And they can pile up. Some might say Dhoni's disfigured hands - at the best of times he can't get his middle finger into an inner glove comfortably - are par for the course for a wicketkeeper, but it is possible that captaincy has played more than a significant role in it. Even without the extra responsibility of captaincy, the wicketkeeper is arguably the most important man on the field, batsmen and umpires included. "He actually runs the game," says Latif. "I can't talk about others, but from my experiences, your performance suffers when you are the captain too. Cricket is a game of concentration. Wicketkeeping more so. Calculation is the captain's job. What fields are required, how to use a bowler. You get lost in the match. You forget your own performance. All you are thinking is who should bowl the next over, does my strike bowler need rest, are my fields too defensive, are my fields conceding too many easy boundaries? Adam Gilchrist, who captained Australia to their series win in India in 2004-05, agrees about the demands of the jobs, but looks at it differently. "It all depends on the personality of the wicketkeeper," he says. "Lots of concentration required, but it's a part of the challenge, a part of satisfaction from the job. You work on your fitness, you work on your skill, and that fitness training allows you to maintain a better concentration." Gilchrist was the original deputy to Steve Waugh. When an injury forced Waugh out of a Test in 2000-01, a nervous Gilchrist, as Wisden said, captained Australia to a win over West Indies in Adelaide. When it came to replacing Waugh full time, though, the captaincy went to Ricky Ponting. Here comes into the picture the other, modern expectation from a keeper, the batting, which makes the job even more difficult. "I think Ricky was the right man for the job, and I am not sure that I needed to be doing it full time because of the amount that was on offer," Gilchrist says. "The batting and keeping - for me, personally, I don't think I needed to be doing all that full time. We had a man qualified to take the reins, and I loved supporting him." Whether Gilchrist would have taken the challenge for his satisfaction had he not also been a specialist batsman seems a pointless question now. Latif isn't in direct disagreement with Gilchrist. They concur on the unique advantage a wicketkeeper brings as a captain. "I always found it a terrific spot to view a match from," Gilchrist says. "It gives you proper insight into how the bowlers are going, field positions and angles." Apart from that, the keeper knows exactly what the ball is doing. He knows what the batsman is trying to do. From how hard the ball thuds into his gloves, he can tell if the bowler is tiring. Latif goes a step further and says a keeper as captain can do better in terms of strategy than just performing his perceived orthodox role of passing privileged information to the captain - preferably a batsman - and advising him. "The whole game is being played out in front of your eyes," he says. "If somebody else is the captain, you have to go to him or send the message across through someone. If you are yourself the captain, you need not go anywhere. You can effectively run the game through eye contact. If you can make it work, it works beautifully." Wasim Akram, an advocate of bowler-captains, thinks only wicketkeepers can match bowlers when it comes to captaincy. As an aside, Pakistan need to be thanked for consistently challenging conventional ideas about captaincy. Which other team can claim to have had five unconventional captains in a decade - two bowlers, two wicketkeepers and an allrounder - and also to have won the World Cup, the Asian Test Championship, and stayed a formidable team during the period? Latif found a method to keep himself fresh. "Initially I spread around the responsibility," he says. "I said, Younis Khan will command the fielding and I will just relax and look after bowling changes. Then I wouldn't get involved in their work. Because the match is developing at the same time." The success story If Latif had fielding captains who could share his burden, Dhoni has a bowling captain in Zaheer Khan. Moreover, as a captain Dhoni keeps things simple. He seems comfortable letting go. He doesn't stress himself too much with selection issues, and only truly switches on as captain after crossing the white line. The coaches he has worked with say the division of work is clear: it's their job to provide the best-prepared team, and his job to take over on the field. Then again, Dhoni's India play much more cricket than Latif's Pakistan did, or Australia did when Gilchrist played. On his days off, Dhoni captains his IPL franchise. Although strong and fit, he doesn't have a traditional wicketkeeper's body. It is tough to be extremely supple behind the wicket when you're as big as Dhoni is. Even with all the workload and captaincy pressure he remains the best keeper in the country, which has to be hard work. He has an understandably homemade technique with the gloves too. If the no-follow-through stumping is pure flash, for some reason he fails to dive for the catches between him and first slip more often than other keepers do. In England when everything caught up - the stress of captaining a failing unit, the absence of the bowling captain, the fatigue, the late swing - Dhoni seemed every bit a keeper who could do with a little less work. And the inevitable question arose: to keep or to lead? "I don't think we should brand every wicketkeeper [as] being unable to do it," Gilchrist says. "It's the same as some batsmen not being able to handle captaincy. There are many batsmen or many bowlers who prefer to concentrate on their own cricket. It's the same with keeper-batsmen. It shouldn't be a pigeon-hole." Then again, if a batsman or a bowler loses form on account of captaincy, there are five other batsmen and four other bowlers. The wicketkeeper is all alone. Latif empathises with Dhoni. "I am a huge fan of Dhoni the captain," he says. "As a wicketkeeper he is not outstanding, has never been outstanding in the way that somebody like [Nayan] Mongia was. But Dhoni is a good leader, and solid behind the stumps, if you take out the England tour. It's possible he took all the pressure on himself. As a wicketkeeper, we just need to let him be for a while." Dilip Vengsarkar, chairman of the selection committee that made Dhoni India's captain, says they didn't need to give special consideration to his being a wicketkeeper. "Actually when you are the captain, you are so involved in the game, you don't think about the workload," he says. "You are engrossed in thinking about the next move, the next bowling change, the next batsman, the field placement. As a captain it can actually take the pressure off your keeping." Gilchrist agrees. He digs into personal experience of leading Australia in India in 2004. "If anything, captaining helped me in that series," he says. "By being able to remain focused on other things than just my own form. By having other things, it allowed my personal game to relax and enjoy it." Both also agree that Dhoni is the only man who has come close to being a durable keeper-captain at the top level. Vengsarkar, though, would love to see him rested some time soon. "I admire his courage," he says. "He is a person who is playing each and every game; the only person in the team who is playing non-stop cricket. He can easily ask for rest, but he says this is his team. "If you are playing non-stop cricket at the highest level, it takes its toll. That's what happened in England." Four years ago Vengsarkar saw in the "way he approached the game" that Dhoni was the man. The man who would start as limited-overs captain and would gradually take over in Tests, because the next big assignment was in Australia, a tough tour for captains. As India prepare to go to Australia again, it's Dhoni's keeping that will be watched more closely than his captaincy. If he comes back well as a keeper and expectedly goes on to become India's most successful captain, future selection committees will have a success story to refer to when they are apprehensive about handing their side's reins to a wicketkeeper.

http://www.espncricinfo.com/magazine/content/story/539623.html

[deathmonger]

Gilchrist ok but Latif? Man, he sucks. Shouldn't even talk about Dhoni.

[ganeshran]

Gilchrist ok but Latif? Man' date=' he sucks. Shouldn't even talk about Dhoni.[/quote'] Latif was a decent keeper. But his career will forever be clouded by claiming that dropped catch against Bangladesh

[Sehwag1830]

I'm neither specialist batsman nor extraordinary keeper: Dhoni "It's a big compliment for me. I am more of a package than a specialist. I'm neither an extraordinary batsman nor a specialist keeper," Dhoni said smilingly when asked to react to Dujon's comments. "It's all about doing the things right. It does not matter how you catch the ball, take the edges and do stumpings. It's important to score at that point of the time as it's really good for the side. "I'm really happy for the compliments. It's a constant process. I hope to keep doing well and keep grooming the department you specialise. I hope I will be a specialist one day," he said http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/sports/cricket/series-tournaments/west-indies-in-india/top-stories/Im-neither-specialist-batsman-nor-extraordinary-keeper-Dhoni/articleshow/10769408.cms

[Sid]

hahaha,What a man.

[Magneto]

Also, whatever Dhoni said is absolutely true too. Just that, he may not be a specialist but he is a very SPECIAL cricketer.

[Dravid_TheWall]

Very true. Dhoni understand his own game and how to help the team which makes me very special. Also there is that gully cricket aspect to him where he can play ugly innings and stick around or belt the ball out of the park :)

[Yoda-esque]

Haha Dhoni! Looks like he read on ICF

[Aaku]

Ohhho mahi PLEASE, itnaaa acha hona sahi nahi.. :girl_sigh:

[Jersey #10]

He's actually right, he is neither of the two from the technical aspects but as far as results are concerned he is a champion of all.

[carnish]

he is truly a great batsman...but in ODIs...maybe he will benefit if he goes higher in the order in tests...but that wont happen till the awesome threesome of INDIA retires...