MS Dhoni's decision to quit Test cricket and his reluctance to talk about the suddenness of this massive career call has fuelled speculation on his future. Having being bred in a system that lacks transparency, Dhoni's silence reflects the current state of flux in a leaderless Board of Control for Cricket in India.
Given the fact that Dhoni is India's most successful captain, he deserved a fitting farewell. After guiding India to a face-saving draw at Melbourne Cricket Ground earlier this week, Dhoni quietly grabbed a stump as a souvenir. He loves collecting souvenirs but to pick one in a drawn match is something Dhoni may have done for the first time
At the end of a match fraught with frayed tempers, thanks to streaks of immaturity in vice-captain Virat Kohli, Dhoni exchanged pleasantries with the Aussie players, never for a moment hinting that he had played his last Test match at a historic venue. Unlike Sachin Tendulkar, who chose his home turf - Wankhede Stadium - to bow out, Dhoni quietly walked into the sunset of a roller-coaster Test career. There were no guard of honour, no standing ovation and no drama. They called it the 'Mahi Way.
The Mahi Way was certainly not a happy ending. Former teammates VVS Laxman and Sourav Gangulydemanded that Dhoni owed his fans an explanation. Yes, his lack of ideas in the longer format of the game often surfaced on overseas tours, but Dhoni still came up with masterstrokes. Having a leg-slip for the dangerous Steven Smith at Melbourne was certainly one of them. The Aussie captain flicked a rank bad ball from Umesh Yadav only to see Ajinkya Rahane take a fine catch.
BCCI announced Dhoni's retirement through a press release. Secretary Sanjay Patel was extensively quoted by the media. Patel called Dhoni's decision "lion-hearted." "He is not the one who would want a fitting farewell," Patel said. Whatever the circumstances were, the BCCI failed in its duty to give Dhoni a more graceful exit. It clearly reflected on a cricket Board that for the first time, ran without an 'official' president.
Patel, by default, is the chief executive officer of the BCCI. So speaking to him was nothing but a formality. Dhoni had obviously made up his mind over a period of time. But did Dhoni speak to N. Srinivasan, the embattled czar of Indian cricket, who stood like a rock behind during Dhoni's tumultuous times? That's the million-dollar question.
If Dhoni managed to keep his captaincy intact despite losing eight overseas on-the-trot in 2011-12, it was because Srinivasan trusted the skipper's abilities more than the selectors. Insiders say Srinivasan has always been Dhoni's 'god father.' The good times started when Srinivasan broke the bank in 2008 to buy Dhoni for his IPL team, Chennai Super Kings. Dhoni was even made vice-president of India Cements, the company that owns CSK. Srinivasan is the Managing Director of India Cements.
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