Dhoni puts luck factor in true perspective, says he is fortunate to have 'legends' to count on
Dhoni puts luck factor in true perspective, says he is fortunate to have 'legends' to count on
The popular chestnut, a man makes his own luck, may not be necessarily true in Mahendra Singh Dhoni's case.
For the current Indian skipper has had at his services arguably the best fast bowler since Kapil Dev, a batting order that boasts of over 50,000 runs, luminaries who take home incalculable pay checks, a coaching staff of the highest calibre, and VVS Laxman.
When these factors are considered, the query pops up again: Is Dhoni the luckiest skipper ever? Yes, Dhoni remains fourth in the list of most successful captains ever. When reminded of this, a sarcastic Dhoni said: "Maybe, I should retire then." He reiterated that luck was a subjective phenomenon.
"Sometimes, people say that a team does well due to its captain, but that's not exactly true. I am fortunate to have a team, which boasts of players who have played over 150 Test matches. It makes my job easier. If I am ever in need, I can count on these legends," the 29-year old said.
When asked to compare yesterday's 87-run victory against South Africa to Johannesburg 2006, Nottingham 2007, Perth 2008 and Hamilton 2009, Dhoni said: "It is a proud moment just like all those wins were. Every victory is special in its own way. Whether we win at Kanpur, Eden Gardens, or anywhere else in the world, it doesn't matter. I would be neglecting the process that started around September 2008 by saying this is the most memorable victory. Everything after September 2008 has been a part of the continuing process."
A jubilant Dhoni reserved special words for the most special player in his team. "We always count on Laxman when in trouble. If he doesn't score for a few innings, we know a special knock is on its way. It was his knock of 96 that won the game for us," he said.
Over-dependentDhoni conceded that his side was over-dependent on Zaheer Khan: "Before this Test, my biggest worry was getting 20 wickets. You could see the difference Zak's comeback made. I was confident the batsmen would bounce back.
"We are swing bowlers, who are capable of clocking only 135kmph. But, we will always do well if there is grass on the surface. Our bowlers are not naturally talented for flatter pitches where you need to bounce the batsmen out with pace, like in Centurion.u00a0
"The more the grass on the surface, the better," a confident Dhoni said. He has a love affair with South Africa. It all started with the World Twenty20 in 2007, recently the CL T20, and it could come full circle with a historic Test series victory.
