Few weeks back, Chennai Super Kings lost a close home game to Rajasthan Royals. Had MS Dhoni hit a four off the final ball of the game, he would have taken his team home. If CSK had won, many felt, the Thala cult would have further swelled. How wrong they were, the cricket-philistines who don’t follow the game closely. If they had tried they would have understood and appreciated the fact that cricket for Dhoni was a delicious cerebral combination of mathematics and philosophy.
That day at Chepauk, Dhoni, even by not scoring the winning runs, had given the world a demo on the fine art of winning white-ball games by chasing down tall scores. That’s the magic of Dhoni and also the reason for the sturdiness of his brand, the loyalty of his fans. Even in defeat, the Thala cult doesn’t get dented.
CSK’s 3-run loss, in the 4th game of the season, was an education for those dreaming to master this fickle format of fine margins. Dhoni that day fell just one step short of his destination but by reaching that far he had left behind enough footsteps on the complex trek of the last five overs of a tight T20 game for others to follow.
So what makes Dhoni the patron saint of all lost causes? Why doesn’t the world give up on seemingly one-sided games when Dhoni is at crease? And how come he has hit the most 20th over fours and sixes in the history of IPL? These questions do have credible answers and there is a rational explanation to the Dhoni paranormal ability to win last-over games.
For the untrained eye, the secret lies in the expressionless calm of Dhoni’s face that mirrors his tranquil mind. Others see him as a high-roller who gets lucky. But winning tight T20 games isn’t just about holding nerves and the rub of the green. There is more to consistently winning IPL games and titles. There is a lot that separates Dhoni from the Rahul Tewatia and Rinku Singhs of the world.
For the last few IPLs, at the end of all CSK games, there is this all-too familiar scene that unfolds at the grounds. Young and old, local and foreign – cricketers of every hue – go looking for Dhoni. They crowd around him to pick his brains. The world is aware that Dhoni at 41 is running on his final leg. It’s a worry that the reclusive cricketer might one fine day disappear deep in the woods around Ranchi never to be seen again. Professional cricketers know that Dhoni’s last action hero act is no sleight of hand or stroke of luck. They know there is a science to it.
Dhoni has a word that he often uses to describe his way of pacing his innings during a tough chase. He calls it ‘process’. This is no secret sauce with a mystic recipe. The process is actually boringly mechanical, utterly simple, but still stunningly revolutionary, just like sliced bread.
The start to the ‘Dhoni Process’ is easy, it is something most finishers follow. You start with identifying the weak links in the rivals, pick bowlers against whom liberties can be taken. When Dhoni walked in to bat, CSK needed to score 63 runs from 5 overs. He had for company his trusted lieutenant Ravindra Jadeja, a veteran of many Dhoni-orchestrated Ocean’s XI kind of heists.
As if on cue, a familiar script starts unfolding. It starts with Dhoni spewing out instructions, Jadeja nodding his head. They keep looking at the scoreboard that shows that the day’s in-form spinners Ravichandran Ashwin and Yuzvendra Chahal have an over each. The other bowling options for RR skipper Sanju Samson are leggie Adam Zampa, along with medium pacers Jason Holder and Sandeep Sharma. It’s a no-brainer that those targeted by the two were Zampa, Holder and Sandeep.
As per the plan, Dhoni and Jadeja play out Ashwin and Chahal, giving them the respect they deserve. It is only when they finish their quota of overs, would they think of taking risks. Ashwin’s 16th over would cost 6, Chahal’s 17th a run less. The target now is 58 runs from 3 overs. Required run rate is 18. Now, it is about the small matter of hitting 3 sixes every over.
The mercury is rising, the heat in the kitchen could make mortals melt. Dhoni and Jadeja are battle-scarred fire-fighters, they don’t panic. The second phase of ‘Dhoni Process’ needs to be triggered now. After the game, the man who loves to leave it for late gave the world an idea about his mindset in those last three overs. Not one to move-around the crease or play the new-age fancy reverses and scoops, Dhoni said he “just waits for the bowlers to commit a few errors.”
Jadeja and Dhoni don’t pre-meditate, don’t throw their bats at good balls. Nonetheless, they can’t even afford the bowlers to get away with bad balls. CSK have a chance only if every full-toss, every off-line delivery on the legs is punished. Zampa tosses one up and Dhoni dutifully hits a six. Next over Holder bowls a couple of balls on Jadeja’s legs. He fails to connect one but the second one goes over the ropes. Those who flirt with fine margins can’t afford to miss such opportunities. Could this be a costly mistake?
In the final over, CSK needed 21 and Dhoni connected two low full-tosses and both times the ball sailed in the melee of delirious fans. It’s not enough, that one missed six by Jadeja ended CSK’s dream. In the post-mortem, Dhoni’s dodgy knee was also a factor. Scampering between the wickets in the final overs can not only rotate strike but also spread panic in the rank and file of the fielding side.
But beyond the maths of the chase, is the philosophy of the ‘Dhoni Process’ that can never be compromised. To manage “58 runs from 18 balls” by the Mahi way, the batsmen need to be in Zen mode. The obsessive pursuit of a win is fine but players can’t be blind to some uncontrollable setback that will come in the way and the eventual possibility of a loss. Sports celebrates meritocracy, it isn’t biased to those with reputation or experience. It provides a level-playing field for an underdog to seize the moment or a rookie to upset a veteran.
Dhoni has been around, he is both clever and grounded. He is aware that on a given day, at an opportune moment, any international or IPL bowler is capable of delivering that perfect ‘unscoreable’ ball. Those following the Dhoni Process don’t undermine a rookie or get over-awed by a star. They keep it simple, they don’t play the bowler, he plays the ball. This helps them to retain the poise and keep his mind uncluttered.
So when Dhoni faced the Punjab seamer Sandeep in the final over, the glee in his eyes was missing, nor was he restless to hit the ball out of the ground. He didn’t see him as a bowler who has played just 2 T20 games for India. It would have been foolhardy. Sandeep was a u-19 World Cupper, a pacer with a decade long IPL experience and a swing bowler known for supreme accuracy. By treating each ball on its merit, there was a method to the chase and consistency in getting favourable results.
Dhoni takes the games deep since he keeps waiting for the bad balls. Against Sandeep, he followed the same routine. That’s the only percentage-play possible in the format with countless variables. Dhoni got two bad balls – low full tosses – both went for six. On the final ball, against Dhoni, most bowlers have brain fade. That day Sandeep came up with a perfect yorker. Dhoni couldn’t hit a boundary, CSK lost.
The Dhoni Process also helps deal with defeat better. The game might have slipped out of the hands but by remaining true to the process there was hope. Had Jadeja connected the Holder ball on his legs, the result would have been different. Game might have been lost but the Dhoni Process had remained unbeaten.
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