Does Dhoni have a say in the team?

After watching the 2 matches being played against England and South Africa, one can easily relate to the similarities of the way Indians approached the game. And yet, I feel India failed to learn from the mistake on that dreadful tie about couple of weeks ago, thus allowing themselves by not meeting Pakistan in the Quarter Final.

The most striking of them all is the banana skid and on both the occasions none of the so called powerful batting unit, could use their mind to stave India from that horrendous show. The match against South Africa was telling really, to say the least - India lost rather South Africa won. Why was Yusuf Pathan sent in at No.4 ahead of Virat Kohli, knowing very well what happened the other night against England? Why cant Dhoni, being at the non-striker end instruct his team to curb the shots? Why was Dhoni just watching the proceedings? He was seen only instructing Munaf Patel, when the game was all but over by then....

Does Dhoni have a say in the India Team? Earlier he used to say in the press that all experienced batsman and bowlers knows what they need to do and that is what preventing him to provide advice when there is heat at the center. Is this one way of providing excuse that he does not have a say. Again, his Afridi-like statement in the press that some of his team players are playing for the gallery, is a statement that could have been easily avoided, especially, at a time when the team needs to think and play as a unit, if they need to atleast cross the Quarter-final. Thirdly, when Nehra was used for the last last over at the expense of Bhajji, I had noticed that there was no team hurdles to discuss with Dhoni. Instead there was Nehra, Bhajji, Zaheer and Raina. Notable absentees were Sachin, Yuvaraj, Gambhir. Fourthly, where is Ashwin? In my earlier column, I had mentioned that Ashwin should be used as a 5th bowling option and need to open the bowling along with Dhoni. Why is Dhoni so adamant in not picking him up? 

Earlier, Dhoni used to say that Sachin used to provide batting advice to all the batsmen and Zaheer used to have different plans, if the 1st plan fails. I have not seen these on the field, atleast during the current World Cup so far.....Is Dhoni's honey-moon period over?

During the last world cup, India could not qualify for the quarter final because Chappell and Dravid insisted on batting line up change and especially asking to bat Sachin at No.4. What excuse is the team going to provide now, especially now, after they failed to perform against England and South Africa...

Again there are lots of similarities between 2007 world cup and this - India won against the minnows though they had lost to Bangladesh. Here again, they could win only against the minnows and that too by not a huge margin.

Has Dhoni performed this match against South Africa to ensure that he need not face Pakistan in Quarter Final? Could this be also the reason for the team not performing on the field? 

A win against West Indies could mean that India could be pushed down to No.2 spot in the Group B, which could well mean that they will face either New Zealand  (assuming that Sri Lanka wins against NewZealand)  or Pakistan (assuming that Pakistan stops Australia's dream run in the World Cup).

Going by the tide, the Semi-Final spot, could well be Australia, South Africa, Sri Lanka and India, assuming that India face New Zealand in the Quarter Final.