Updated: August 21, 2020 1:47:44 AM
Dhoni showed the spinners of India what they did not see. (Image photo / AFP)
The international pension of Mahendra Singh Dhoni would leave a deep feeling in all those who have shared a dressing room with the legendary wicketkeeper-batsman. But perhaps no more than the wrist-spinning duo of Yuzvendra Chahal and Kuldeep Yadav, for whom the former captain of India was friend, philosopher and guide, all rolled into one package. It was Dhoni who orchestrated her every move from behind the colleague and helped her mates, both on and off the field.
Dhoni showed them what they did not see. He gave them wings to fly, and made them believe they could die. Even though. It was about shaking, holding hands, shooting, praising, quietly nodding appreciation and guidance, both on and off the field.
An emotional Kuldeep first talks about the presence. He first sets the stage for us. Imagine a shocking colleague, a big name of your choice, staring across the field as you enter to ball. What did Kuldeep see at that moment?
“The batsman may be an enormous name, but the man behind him is the most impressive figure (Batsman kitna bhi bada ho, us-sey peechhe khada aadmi sabse bada hai),” says Kuldeep. Any nervousness that balloons in the mind is punctured. ‘I always felt like my coach was standing by and telling me what to do. Chahal and I were like soldiers waiting for the orders of Mahi bhai. What he said, we just followed without asking anything. ”
Read | MS Dhoni’s style: War without bloodshed
Chahal says that trust was the most important factor in this relationship with guru-shishya. ‘We trusted him blindly because he knew what was going on. He got a full picture (from behind the stumps), ”says Chahal.
Both personalize it with anecdotes in the field. The moments when her doubts were justified by the invisible hand of Dhoni. Kuldeep against the always inclined to attack Glenn Maxwell and Chahal vs two left-handers, in theory not so easy for a leg-spinner.
Celebrate MS Dhoni and Kuldeep Yadav (File Photo / AP)
Kuldeep, first. ‘It was a game in January last year. Maxwell was in good shape, playing aggressively. Not to worry, Dhoni hai na. He always told me, keep it away from him and keep it flat (“is-sey dur rakhna, letaa ke rakhna”). The idea was that Maxwell would stretch the ball, feeding him nothing too close or too fast to swing his arms towards the leg. Also, I had to keep it in the same area. Kuldeep played on the dasher’s patience and ego.
2nd ODI, India vs Australia, Nagpur (2019): Glenn Maxwell
Australia was 132 for 3 in 28 fairs, needing 119 runes. The first two balls from Kuldeep Yadav to Glenn Maxwell were wrong ‘us. Dhoni asked Yadav to bake flat. Yadav returned a ball of length and got it separated. Maxwell, in search of a big hit, went back to pulling, but had disrupted his stumps.
Australia needed 129 of at least 26 overs when Maxwell came in. Not much. The required interest rate was below five, less than their sustained run rate, and they had seven wickets in hand. In principle, wickets were what India needed. Maxwell started patiently picking, choosing to control himself, and picked up two of nine balls when Kuldeep was brought back into attack.
Dhoni is on Kuldeep’s ear with his plan. And so the chinaman bowler begins with three googlies – the fastest hands behind the stumps even flip the bails once in a broken stumping appeal. The over ends.
Next on, more of the same. “Dur rakhna, letaa ke rakhna” (Away and flat). Two more googlies. Then comes the real leta ke rakhna ball. And this time, Kuldeep had just pulled back the length of a touch and got to slide along as a detached Maxwell looks to break free with an attempted pull. Errors. The stumps have been cut back. Kuldeep feels he owes that wicket to Dhoni. “I bowled five balls over the same area and the sixth ball, he went over to play and was bowled.” The plan had worked.
Now Chahal steps in with his stories. February 2018 at Centurion in South Africa. His first hall of five wicket. He cites the dismissal of JP Duminy.
“Duminy floated a lot.” Not only against him, but against Kuldeep as well. “When I arrived, Mahi bhai said, ‘just come stomp for stomp, because if he misses, you’ll get an LBW. Do not worry if he strikes. Keep it up.”
2nd ODI, South Africa vs India, Centurion (2018): JP Duminy
The hosts struggled with 107-5, but Duminy had managed to keep up with an unbeaten 25. In his sixth passing, Chahal bowled a googly followed by two deliveries to the off-side. Dhoni then advised him to burn the stumps. Duminy blocked the first ball of his seventh pass and went the next for a sweep, but was rather leg.
Duminy paddles-sweep Chahal in his first spell and when he returns for the second, he almost walks away for a whip of a ball on the stumps. He gets a little wood on leather and Chahal’s profession dies in his mouth. In his next over, leggie then tries a googly of the leg-stump line, but it is read by Duminy, who dabs it away. Next, after a few deliveries ran the off-stump, and after Duminy is left behind to defend a fairly complete delivery, Chahal recalls Dhoni’s advice – “Tilli (matchstick, his nickname) isko dande pe hi rakhna, “(hold it on the sticks) – and sweep it full on the midline and leg line. Duminy goes for the sweep, but the ball drops and drifts to the middle, escaping the ball and grabbing the path for the midfield. Joy, all around.
“It happened just like Mahi bhai had said,” says Chahal.
Confidence continued to grow. Another fragment of memory drifts in. It’s February 2019, and Chahal is in Wellington, New Zealand. He’s up against another leftist this time around, Tom Latham.
It’s his first pass, the 19th of the innings and perhaps secured by the whip, he throws it short at Latham who hits it for a four between square and midwicket.
5th ODI, New Zealand vs India, Wellington (2019): Tom Latham
The Kiwis were 119 for 4, needing another 134 runes to win in 22 overs. Tom Latham sweeps well. Chahal wanted to change his line, but Dhoni asked him to keep it full and on the stumps. On the third ball of Chahal’s sixth over Latham it went for the sweep but was out lbw.
“Latham played the whip for me on a constant basis. I wanted to change my line, but Dhoni said it would not change, because one miss will bring me a wicket, ”said Chahal now. Then he was asked to change his line, because he, after hovering a few times, had shortened the length. The ball was thrown back from the point boundary. “Line change with karna, isko aage daal and stumps pey rakh (Do not change the line, keep it full and on the stumps).”
It is now Chahal the sixth in a row. Another whip comes out and he drops the next length ball.
Dhoni pipets with the advice to keep it full. The next ball is full, Latham brings his whip out but misses; Chahal (and Dhoni) have got their husband.
MS Dhoni and Yuzvendra Chahal (File photo / AP)
‘He reminds me of what he needs to do. Many times I have the feeling that the wicket is not coming, but suddenly we would get the wicket. It’s all about planning and Mahi bhai was far ahead in the planning, ‘Chahal seems apprehensive.
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Cold depths may come as close as anyone to cracking Dhoni’s icy coolness that has enthralled the world. Where does that spring come from?
‘He has seen so much in life that cricket becomes a small thing for him. What’s emotionally heavy for us, it’s just normal for him (You cheez hamare liye bhaari hota hai, wo unke liye normal hota hai). He has so much experience of life outside of the game. The struggle he has seen and his life experience is enormous, ”says Kuldeep. ‘He knows what to talk about, how much to talk about. The way he understands you. When one who is experiencing depression talks to Mahi bhai, that depression will largely disappear. He is also like a psychologist. ”
It is not all milk and honey, of course, for this psychologist. It is also about some “shaking”. When Kuldeep talks about the moments he was spray-painted by Dhoni, it almost feels like he’s talking about a tender moment.
‘He shook me many times. I used to listen to everything. “Because of that trust that comes from success. “Sometimes I used to think about whether Mahi bhai is right or wrong. But his experience is so much that what he said always turned out to be true. Most of the time he is right. I feel that the man who has life experience can teach anyone and can guide any young person. The way he treated us was remarkable. ”
Ditto Chahal. “Sometimes he shook us too.” But he knew it was coming from a good place. ‘If he had been there two more years, it would have been great for everyone, not just us. Every time we got into difficult situations, he knew our thought process. ”
Both are full of gratitude. “Mahi bhai has played a big role in my career. He has been an older brother, a friend, he was never just a Mahi-bhai for us. I got my one-day cap from him and played a world championship with him; I will keep these memories for life, ”says Chahal. ‘It was shocking news for us, he has such a great experience behind the stumps. For me and Kuldeep, he is not there now, thoda farak toh padega (his absence will make a difference).
For young spinners like Kuldeep and Chahal, Dhoni was the emotional anchor in the heat of battle, the man who sorted out her problems with insight and the occasion of anger – and especially the brain that showed her what was possible.
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