'Fit' Dhoni best at No.6; will himself say 'guys I'm done', when time comes: Ajay Jadeja
MS DHONI's recent batting fiasco has suddenly raised a lot of questions over the cricketer's form and his position in the batting order. It may be slightly exaggerated, but the swords are out and they're calling for the captain's head.
Meanwhile, former Indian cricketer Ajay Jadeja talks about his views on the Indian captain in an interview with DNA.
When asked if there's anything wrong with Dhoni's batting, Jadeja doesn't seem to believe there's any problem and that such situations have arisen in the past with Dhoni at the crease.
"I personally don't see any problem. Actually, there is a wind of change blowing through Indian cricket. There's a change of perception (following the change of guard in the BCCI). Everyone watching the game seems to have switched sides especially because there is a different powerhouse in place now."
Jadeja makes a valid point, though. There's a phase in every player's career when he is unstoppable. But it doesn't mean that match-winning knocks will come everyday. Jadeja compares Dhoni's current situation to that of Sachin Tendulkar's in the past.
"There is no better benchmark than Sachin. He scored 100 international hundreds. But he batted on 700 occasions. The difference is that when you bat at the end of the innings, it becomes the story of the match. The guys batting at the top get an equal, if not more, number of chances to finish the game."
The former cricketer also said that Dhoni still is India's best bet at the number six position. If he is promoted up the order, it will affect the team's numbers. At the end of the day, it's not about the player, it's about the team and the team management takes these decisions.
"The same things were said about Tendulkar in 2007, 2008 and 2009. What happened after that? Can anybody explain what he did after that? He won us the World Cup. Nobody remains the same. There are always ups and downs. There's a movement and a lot of people have decided to get together and write stories. My question to you is this: If not MS at No. 6 in limited-overs cricket, then tell me who?"
Jadeja also considers Dhoni a lot fitter than before, an indication that the skipper isn't done yet. He leaves us with a very helpful suggestion,
"Instead of criticizing him, hold on for the man to tell us what he thinks of himself. If he has lost his ability, he will be the first to put his hand up and say 'Guys, I am done'."
