On his 36th birthday, Mahendra Singh Dhoni finds himself standing at crossroads of an illustrious career - just four matches short of a mammoth 300 ODI games. One of the best finishers of the game, played perhaps the most horrendous knock of his 13-year-ODI career - 54 off 114 balls - in an unsuccessful 190-run chase against an under- strength West Indies. His worst effort, ironically, came at a venue that is named after one of the greatest the game has ever seen - Sir Vivian Richards.
Rahul Dravid has called upon the selectors to have a clear cut policy on Dhoni and Yuvraj Singh and he is not off the mark. Just like the Champions Trophy final, it will be those odd days when his oodles of experience is something that Kohli would like to bank on. And since he will only be required sporadically, the failures will be magnified even more as the next chance to become team's 'Man Friday' may not come too soon. The helicopter may come off one day but some of the other days, it will go down the long-on's throat. But on days when it comes off, he is the resident champion.
It's not that players have not reinvented themselves after their 36th birthdays. Sachin Tendulkar played some of his best cricket between 2009-11 in both Tests and ODIs. Without doubt Tendulkar was a batting genius with a lot more quality in his armoury but Dhoni possesses the most important aspect of a top level sportsperson - steely temperament. Rishabh Pant - another rare talent from the Indian cricket stable - is breathing down his neck. But Rishabh is far from being a finished product even though he will inherit Dhoni's big gloves.
