In 2005, Rahul Dravid was the captain and Dhoni an impact player who looked a bit like Tarzan. Now, Dhoni has graduated to the top job and is seen as more of a brainy than a brawny cricketer. During this long journey, he has lost a lot of hair — some to the barber’s scissors and some to pressures of responsibility.

But today he showed that a few things had been retained.

While approaching his 100, he hit two strokes that brought back memories of the Dhoni that seemed to have disappeared during his transformation from carefree trailblazer to careful accumulator. The bottom-handed, agricultural shot, which sends the ball soaring over the fence with an unorthodox flick of the wrist at the end of the swing had made Dhoni an instant poster boy in Indian cricket. When on 90, he rediscovered that shot, hitting Mitchell Johnson over long-on for six, and following it up in the next over with another one to reach three figures. All this right in the middle of his first bad patch as captain and a raucous debate on where he should be batting.

His innings played a big role in India turning the tide after a spate of no-shows in recent times. Powered by his knock and a series of big partnerships, India posted an imposing 355. Australia, well behind the eight ball when the chase began, were out of the game once they were reduced to 45/3 around the 10-over mark, with Praveen Kumar and Ishant Sharma striking early. Eventually, they folded up for 255 in 48.3 overs to lose the game by 99 runs, to make the series tied 1-1.

Reconstruction phase

India’s comeback after the Vadodara loss was made possible by two partnerships where Dhoni played the conductor, changing the tunes with subtle twirls of his bat. The 119-run stand between Dhoni and Gautam Gambhir was about a reconstructing after India were reduced to 97/3, while Dhoni and Suresh Raina’s nine-an-over association worth 136 was batting at its destructive best. There can be endless debates about his position in the Indian batting line-up, but Dhoni’s flexibility on Wednesday showed that his ideal position is that of a floater, with the proficiency to bat at any position.

Dhoni’s innings was a fusion of both the old and the new. It worked out well for him that he faced spinners from both the ends at the start of his innings. Dealing with offie Nathan Hauritz and left-arm spinner Adam Voges was all about nudges in front of wicket and fine sweeps away from the fielders. He ran hard as well, hitting just two fours from his first 47 deliveries but striking at a rate of over 90. When the pacers came on, his job remained giving the other batsmen the strike.