You could say Deepti has put her own spin on the talk at Wimbledon with a take any Indian sports fan will get: Dhoni and Djokovic are made of the same ice-cold stuff. The all-rounder, here for the first time, was effusive in her praise for their ability to keep a cool head when things get hot.
Why the cross-sport comparison clicked
To Deepti, the link is plain to see. You have a 24-time Grand Slam winner in Djokovic with an unshakeable focus, and then there is Dhoni, who has a way of making pressure seem like nothing. That is the one thing, she says, that really sets them apart when you are having a debate over who is the greater of the two, no matter the sport or the era.
Composure and clutch play
In a chat with Jio Hotstar, she put it this way: you don’t often see either of them flustered, even if the scoreboard is telling you otherwise. It is a case study for anyone in or around the game. Being calm isn’t doing nothing; it is the fastest way to do the right thing.
She put it down to a few simple truths:
– You can have the skill, but your head has to be in it
– If you don’t move, the pressure doesn’t seem as big
– Every point is a chance to come back
First-time Wimbledon visit
Then there is the rest of it. For Deepti, being at the All England Club to see a match was a box to be ticked on a long list of dreams. After years of watching from home, the lawns up close have a way of making it all feel more vivid, and a bit louder, too.
The tennis is one thing, but the vibe is another. Between the crowd and the murmur from courtside, you can feel the history. It is an experience in its own right, and one of the reasons why so many put it on their to-do list.
From Federer-Nadal era to a Djokovic devotee
Like most of us, she was well-versed in the old Federer-Nadal days. But these days, her allegiance has run with Novak. There is something in his no-nonsense style, the way he is up for a war and has his little rituals to keep him in the zone, that holds her interest.
She is on top of his matches more than anyone else’s. It is the problem-solving under duress, the refusal to let go. As a cricketer used to nailing the finish, you can appreciate that. It is more than a show; it is a blueprint.
Dream courtside company
Put her to it on who she would want to be with at a match and she had no trouble: put some cricket royalty like Sachin, Ravi Shastri or Gavaskar in the stands and you are in for a treat. Have some of the greats swap stories on what makes a player? Now that is good for a sports fan.
It is in keeping with her Dhoni-Djokovic line of thinking. Put on the whites or the blue, the things that win you the day are universal. A clear head and a plan when the clock is running down is the lingo of a champion.
Deepti is speaking to what we all like to argue about: where does true clutch come from? By drawing a line between Dhoni and Djokovic, she is pointing to the work you can’t see, the part in the mind that keeps you from shaking when you need to be steady.
For her, it is something to carry back to the dressing room. Next time you are in a chase, you know what to do. Read the room, let your heart rate drop, and make the call. Her time at Wimbledon was a reminder that the top tier of any sport is won the same way.
