India vs South Africa: Under increasing pressure, MS Dhoni looks to bounce back in Kanpur

The lotteries that are T20 contests are in the past now, as the five-match ODI series between India and South Africa gets underway at Green Park, Kanpur on Sunday. It is AB de Villiers’ turn to lead his country as Faf Du Plessis takes a backseat and Hashim Amla awaits his turn in Tests — as South Africa’s strategy of divide and lead takes shape. For India, it is Mahendra Singh Dhoni in the hot seat. That seat however, is getting hotter by the minute. This year has not been a particularly happy one for Dhoni on the pitch, after the semi-final loss in the World Cup. A fairly successful season but ultimately yet another lost final in the IPL was followed by the humiliation in Bangladesh in the ODI series. And the T20Is against South Africa proved to be yet another no-contest. His own form has been patchy and Dhoni the batsman evidently does not strike fear into the hearts of bowlers anymore. [caption id=“attachment_2463708” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Will Dhoni stick to his newly promoted No 4 slot? AFP[/caption] Nevertheless, this home ODI series should give Dhoni the ideal platform to get his form back, if he comes out to bat at No 4 on a consistent basis. “Don’t you think it is about time? He has done the dirty work for donkey’s years. Give him a chance to enjoy himself,” Ravi Shastri said recently, adding, “You are talking of probably the greatest ODI captain and player. Don’t worry about MS, he will decide on the day whether to bat up the order.” Firstpost’s Jigar Mehta called Dhoni’s move to No 4 a masterstroke after the Bangladesh series. In the 50-over format, Dhoni will get the time to get his eye in and push on at the end — one of the few players in the current side capable of handling both jobs. And at Green Park, it’ll be intriguing to see if Dhoni sticks or twists with his decision. The ODI in Kanpur is also one of those rare cricketing events in India – a day match. Since October 2011, India has hosted 38 ODI matches and only three of them have been day games. And, perhaps unsurprisingly, all three of them have been won by the team batting second as bowlers get to exploit the early dampness on the pitch, before batting conditions improve with the sun beating down. Incidentally, the last day match in India was also at Green Park when India defeated West Indies in a series decider in 2013. The match featured Shikhar Dhawan, in his early days as an India’s opener, reeling off a quick-fire century. It is, by all indications, a bowl-first kind of pitch for both two captains. Kanpur has, in fact, been a happy hunting ground for the Indian team despite how infrequently the city gets to host International matches. In the 12 (of 13 played at Kanpur) matches featuring India at the venue, 11 have resulted in a win for the home side. The batting lineup Dhoni selects will once again come under scrutiny. Dhoni admitted Ajinkya Rahane would have opened in the washed out third T20I at Eden Gardens – a game that was ultimately a dead rubber. But having been dropped in the Bangladesh series in favour of Ambati Rayudu, it is difficult to see Rahane getting a look-in at Kanpur. “It is tough for [Rahane] as of now. If am looking for someone to bat five or six I don’t think he is the person,” Dhoni said on the eve of the match. “His strength is top of the order. If given a chance, we will try to feature him in the top three, if not then we would find it tough to place him in the playing eleven.” With Dhoni saying he doesn’t expect to see green tops for the ODIs, the Kanpur curator has said the pitch will be typically low and slow as India will look to bank on spinners, led by Ravichandran Ashwin to pose troubles for the Proteas. Dhoni has said this is a ground where he has the option to use Amit Mishra and Axar Patel in a three-pronged spin attack. Gurkeerat Singh, coming in to the squad on the back of a sparkling double-hundred for Punjab in the Ranji opener, will have to wait for his chance as Dhoni indicated it is too soon to talk about a debut for the youngster. For South Africa, Morne Morkel and Dale Steyn will slot into the lineup straight away, and will be itching to bowl first on a damp wicket early in the morning. Imran Tahir will also be looking to continue his good form. The visitors’ batting looks settled and boasts remarkable depth. De Villiers has said the momentum is on South Africa’s side but is wary of a wounded home team. “We are hoping to win the series,” de Villiers said. “We would love to win the series. We have shown the world that we can beat India in India. We have just got to play very good cricket. The T20 series is in the past. It is a whole new story now. India will try to bounce back and hopefully we will stop them." The teams ranked No 2 and No 3 in the world taking on each other in a bilateral series should make for some excellent cricket provided this Indian team under Dhoni is up for the fight.