My dear M.S. Dhoni.
This morning, I asked my taxi driver if he had seen the match with South Africa. His response was: “Ab aaya oont pahar ke neechey”. That, my friend, is the echo of a billion voices. Your wins in the group matches stand for nothing. Against the big teams, you have been dismal - failing to defend 338 against England and 296 against South Africa. And if you think batting is failing, you are barking up the wrong tree.

If someone had given you 300 runs before start of play, wouldn’t you have taken it with both hands? The greatest act of faith is when we tell ourselves we are not God. Your batting will not be the saviour every time. It is the balance and coordination of the side which helps. No one can whistle a symphony; it takes an orchestra to play it.

As a brand ambassador of Indian cricket, as a good leader, it is your job to take more than your share of the blame and less than your share of credit. So why are you washing dirty linen in public and telling everyone that your fielding and bowling won’t improve?

The fielding will only improve if you play one out of Gambhir and Kohli and bring in Raina at 6 or 7, which also makes it a great finishing side. The bowling will look solid if someone like Ashwin comes in. Common sense is the knack of seeing things as they are and doing things as they ought to be.

Why did you give the last over to Nehra? Because he did well two years ago? Don’t live in the past; the past is a bucketful of ashes. Zaheer was your best bowler of the day and the next best was Bhajji, with three wickets. But you opted for a rusty injured, stiff as ramrod Nehra, who moves like an envelope without an address, taking you nowhere.

One must respect the conditions and step into shoes of the opposition and walk a mile. Who do you think South Africa would be more comfortable playing? Nehra, who is like any net bowler back home, or Ashwin, who could have given them nightmares on a conducive pitch? The weakness of the opposition is your strength, But you are in own fantasy world. Dhoni in Wonderland.

You have graduated - from stubborn to I-won’t-budge mulishness, to arrogance. Bad results and arrogance are a perfect mix for a quick exit. Get rid of your mulish tendencies and wear the thinking hat. For a man has willpower and a mule has won’t power.

But this damage is not irreparable, my friend, if you wake up from your Kumbhakarna slumber. I am happy this happened now and not in quarter-finals. This is a wake up call!

The hopes of a billion people and a nation rest on your shoulders. Let us, so to say, put the saddle onto India and you will see that she can ride. When you are flat on your backside, there is nowhere to look but up. So look up, and reach the top.