Mahendra Singh Dhoni has been appointed captain of India for three one-day’s against Australia in home series. Dhoni, who is the captain of India’s Twenty20 squad in South Africa, had been tipped to take over as captain since Rahul Dravid announced his resignation.
The captain for test team is yet to be announce by BCCI and if reports are to believed than test captaincy is certainly going to Sachin Tendulkar. That means India will also follow the two captain system for the time being.
Two captain system will be adopted first time by India although it has been successful in Australia when in 2002 Ricky Ponting was made One Day captain and Steve Waugh was test captain.
Now days England is also following the same system. Michel Vaughan is test captain and Paul Collingwood is handling One Day side.
Dhoni, who was the vice-captain of the ODI team on the tour to England, has made his mark since his arrival in international cricket in December 2004. He has scored 2477 runs in 84 ODIs at an average of 44.23 and a strike rate of 96.26. His highest score, an unbeaten 183 against Sri Lanka in 2006, is a record for a wicketkeeper and also the record for the most runs scored by a batsman while chasing. Dhoni had also occupied the top batsman’s spot in the ICC one-day rankings in April 2006.
In world twenty20 Dhoni has also proved his skills as skipper especially in match against Pakistan. But that is twenty20, ODI is totally different ball game.
On other hand if Tendulkar accepts test captaincy then it will be his third inning as Captain of India. He has already led India in 25 Tests winning four, drawing nine and losing 12. In the ODIs, too, he does not have a great captaincy record.
Out of the 73 matches that Tendulkar led India in, the team lost 43, winning 23 other matches while six ended without a result with one tie.
When last time Tendulkar resigned from captaincy he said that he will never accept captaincy again. But now he looks like ready for it.
But now the question is will this two captain system work in India. In India players are stars and it will not be easy for Dhoni to handle them especially when he is inexperienced in handling the captaincy.
Another problem which might come across Dhoni will be coordinating with giants like Tendulkar, Ganguly and Dravid on one side and youngsters on other side.
For Tendulkar the biggest problem will be to get support from senior players. As reports are coming that seniors were not supporting Dravid, the same problem will arise for Tendulkar also.
But looking at positive side the two captaincy system, it may also come good as it will give ample time to groom Dhoni as good leader.
According to ex cricketer Navjot Sidhu if we adopt every thing from Australian system then why not two captain policy. Australia had proved that it was a good move and that’s why Ponting is the best captain today.
Well we as Indian cricket fan also hope that this system may work and we will have a good and aggressive, thinking captain who will lead India in 2011 world cup.
