Agency :
Mahendra Singh Dhoni, India’s most successful Test captain, has decided to call time on his Test career with immediate effect in the wake of India’s series defeat against Australia.
Dhoni, under whom India had become the world’s number 1 Test side, wants to concentrate on the shorter format of the game and said that the strain of playing all the three formats was getting to him.
Virat Kohli, who captained India in the first Test match will be leading the side in the final match as well, starting from January 6 at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
Dhoni played 90 Tests for India, scoring 4876 runs. He effected a total of 294 dismissals.
“One of India’s greatest Test Captains under whose
leadership India became the No. 1 team in the Test Rankings MS Dhoni, has decided to retire from Test Cricket citing the strain of playing all formats of Cricket,” the BCCI said in astatement.
“MS Dhoni has chosen to retire from Test Cricket with immediate effect in order to concentrate on ODI and T20 formats. BCCI while respecting the decision of M S Dhoni to retire from Test Cricket, wishes to thank him for his enormous
contribution to Test Cricket and the laurels that he has brought to India,” it added.
“Virat Kohli will be the captain of the Indian Team for the Fourth and Final Test against Australia to be played in Sydney from the 6th of January 2015,” the BCCI stated.
The 33-year-old Dhoni, however, did not speak about his retirement at the post-match press conference or at the presentation ceremony. The announcement was made through a BCCI press release.
The BCCI statement was a bolt from the blue as Dhoni, despite his poor overseas track record as captain, had not given any indication that he would step down in the near future.
Dhoni, who led India to an unprecedented two World Cup titles (2007 Twenty20 World Championships and the 2011 ODI World Cup), had been drawing flak for India’s poor run in
overseas Tests. India have won just six away Tests out of the 30 that Dhoni has captained.
Among the most embarrassing defeats under Dhoni were the 0-4 whitewashes suffered in England (2011) and Australia (2011-12). Besides the team also suffered defeats in South Africa and New Zealand and had been beaten by England yet again this summer.
Yet the wicketkeeper-batsman remains one of the most successful captains ever for India, having led the side to the top of ICC rankings in Tests in 2009.
Mahendra Singh Dhoni, India’s most successful Test captain, has decided to call time on his Test career with immediate effect in the wake of India’s series defeat against Australia.
Dhoni, under whom India had become the world’s number 1 Test side, wants to concentrate on the shorter format of the game and said that the strain of playing all the three formats was getting to him.
Virat Kohli, who captained India in the first Test match will be leading the side in the final match as well, starting from January 6 at the Sydney Cricket Ground.
Dhoni played 90 Tests for India, scoring 4876 runs. He effected a total of 294 dismissals.
“One of India’s greatest Test Captains under whose
leadership India became the No. 1 team in the Test Rankings MS Dhoni, has decided to retire from Test Cricket citing the strain of playing all formats of Cricket,” the BCCI said in astatement.
“MS Dhoni has chosen to retire from Test Cricket with immediate effect in order to concentrate on ODI and T20 formats. BCCI while respecting the decision of M S Dhoni to retire from Test Cricket, wishes to thank him for his enormous
contribution to Test Cricket and the laurels that he has brought to India,” it added.
“Virat Kohli will be the captain of the Indian Team for the Fourth and Final Test against Australia to be played in Sydney from the 6th of January 2015,” the BCCI stated.
The 33-year-old Dhoni, however, did not speak about his retirement at the post-match press conference or at the presentation ceremony. The announcement was made through a BCCI press release.
The BCCI statement was a bolt from the blue as Dhoni, despite his poor overseas track record as captain, had not given any indication that he would step down in the near future.
Dhoni, who led India to an unprecedented two World Cup titles (2007 Twenty20 World Championships and the 2011 ODI World Cup), had been drawing flak for India’s poor run in
overseas Tests. India have won just six away Tests out of the 30 that Dhoni has captained.
Among the most embarrassing defeats under Dhoni were the 0-4 whitewashes suffered in England (2011) and Australia (2011-12). Besides the team also suffered defeats in South Africa and New Zealand and had been beaten by England yet again this summer.
Yet the wicketkeeper-batsman remains one of the most successful captains ever for India, having led the side to the top of ICC rankings in Tests in 2009.
