Sachin Tendulkar has praised the leadership skills of MS Dhoni, who has overseen a successful six months for India after taking over as captain in all three formats.
“I’m extremely happy and delighted at the way he (Dhoni) has conducted himself,” Tendulkar said. “He is a balanced guy, is always on his toes all the time. Before he was made the captain, standing in the slips I interacted with him, and [he] picked [up a] lot of things which clearly indicated that he has a sharp brain, his approach was pretty clear and not complicated.”
India are fresh from their first Test series win in New Zealand in 41 years, and have also defeated Australia and England at home in the past eight months. India has an impressive record under Dhoni’s leadership, winning five out of seven Tests and losing none. Dhoni also led India to their longest winning-streak in one-dayers during comprehensive series wins over England and Sri Lanka, and most notably, led them to victory in the World Twenty20 in 2007. He’s captained his team in 51 ODIs, winning 31 of them.
Dhoni’s record with the bat as captain is significantly better than his overall stats. In the seven Tests he’s led India; he averages 60 as compared to his overall average of 37.73. His figures have been boosted by seven half-centuries, four of which came against Australia at home. He scored fifties in each innings against New Zealand in the rain-affected final Test in Wellington, where India fell just two wickets shy of wrapping up the series 2-0. The trend is similar in ODIs as well. He was India’s second-highest run-getter in 2008 and averages 57.81 in 51 matches as captain, as opposed to 49.26 overall.
Another experienced player who was impressed with Dhoni’s captaincy was VVS Laxman. “Dhoni is one of the best captains I have played under,” he said. “He is so calm and composed. He exudes a lot of confidence. It’s a great feeling to play under him.”
One of Dhoni’s biggest accomplishments as a leader has been forging a strong team spirit, and former captain Tendulkar said he relished playing the role of a senior member. “To players like Harbhajan Singh or Yuvraj Singh, I’m like their elder brother. I share information not just with them but also with other members of the side. It’s a terrific atmosphere in the dressing room and it’s not just one-way traffic,” he said. “We learn from each other and if someone has some issues, there is the coach. Generally it’s a great atmosphere and I enjoy being part of this side.”
When asked about his decision to not be part of the national Twenty20 side, Tendulkar said he did not want to upset a winning combination. India had won the inaugural World Twenty in South Africa two years ago, but Tendulkar had not been part of that team because of fitness problems. “It’s a team sport so, even if there is one weak link, it affects the whole team. I didn’t want it to happen. The team went to South Africa and did well. They settled quite nicely. I don’t want to disturb the combination now when they are going terrific.”
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