By Gaurang
April 7 2005

To many Indian cricket hopefuls, the arrival of Mahendra Singh Dhoni heralds the end of India's long search for a class wicketkeeper-batsman. Like his selection into the Indian ODI team, which was delayed too long according to some commentators, Mahendra Dhoni took his own sweet time in making an impact on the international scene. He did little of note in his first 4 matches, collecting a total of 22 runs.

But in his fifth ODI he exploded like a Diwali “Champion” bomb, setting off a dhamaka that was all the more powerful, for it came when least expected.

His 148 is the highest score by an Indian in nearly 100 ODIs versus arch rival Pakistan, eclipsing famous names like Sachin Tendulkar and Sourav Ganguly, the previous joint holders of the record. He also missed, by only a few runs, becoming the highest ODI scorer against Pakistan. Only Brian Lara has scored more in an ODI innings against that team.

With a start like this, expectations can become unreasonably high, putting immense pressure on a young man.

But if there is one feature of Dhoni’s batting that stands out, it is his ability to shrug off pressure. Indeed in that respect and a few others, he resembles the explosive Virender Sehwag.

Like Sehwag, he has minimal foot movement, allowing him to play the ball very late. Also like the Indian opener, he seems unfazed by anything happening on the field, whether verbals from the opposition or near misses to good deliveries.

There are differences, however. While Sehwag is able to generate tremendous power with his superb timing, he does have that stocky look about him compared to the muscular and powerful frame of Dhoni. Then there is the flowing mane of hair that would not look out of place on the cover of a Mills and Boone novel.

An aspect of Dhoni’s batting that catches the eye is the bat speed he generates. Of the current Indian players, only Yuvraj Singh comes close. This gives his batting a solid, punchy feel without losing an iota of power.

Dhoni proved that he has the stamina to go with the strength. Nearing the 100 mark, he was visibly tiring in the intense Vizag heat, taking every single or two on offer then bending over his bat for breath afterward. But the minute he got to the century, he went into overdrive and despite being fatigued, generated tremendous power when hitting the ball high, wide and handsome.

Perhaps the most telling part of his performance on the day was that his wicket-keeping during Pakistan’s run chase, during the most gruellingly hot period of the day, was as sprightly as if he had been dismissed for a first ball duck. He kept unobtrusively, with hardly a fumble; gloving three neat dismissals, with the low catch down leg side off a poor Yuvraj delivery to dismiss the dangerous Abdul Razzaq the best of all. The salient point about that dismissal was his ability to stay low longer than either of his young predecessors, Parthiv Patel and Dinesh Karthik. Being a tall man may actually mean that he forces himself to keep low longer, or maybe it is just the difference in experience between age 23 and 19.

He also displayed an excellent ability to anticipate, and a willingness to fling himself around behind the stumps standing further back.

Even more than the ability to dive around -- which his stint as a soccer goalie may have taught him -- it is the fitness skills instilled from the infinitely more cardiovascular sport of soccer that will do his career in cricket a world of good.

One innings does not a career make, and Mahendra Dhoni has a long way to go. But he has demonstrated that he belongs in the big league. And who knows? One day he may be counted among the best of his kind.

In the meantime, the best advice one can give fans is: sit back, fasten your seat belts and enjoy the ride!