Cites strain of playing all formats; Virat Kohli to captain India for fourth and final Test against Australia in Sydney
Indian cricket captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Tuesday retired from Test cricket with immediate effect, citing strain of playing all formats, after his team lost the Border-Gavaskar Trophy to Australia.
“One of India’s greatest Test Captains under whose leadership India became the No. 1 team in the Test Rankings M.S. Dhoni, has decided to retire from Test Cricket citing the strain of playing all formats of Cricket,” the BCCI said in a statement.
“M.S. 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.India, trailing 0-2 in the four-match series after today’s draw, would be led by Virat Kohli in the fourth and final match in Sydney.
“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, 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.
The team had been whitewashed 0-4 in England (2011) and Australia (2011-12) under his leadership. Besides the team also suffered defeats in South Africa and New Zealand and had been beaten by England yet again this summer.
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 and ODIs.
TIMELINE OF MS DHONI'S TEST CAREER
A look back at the 90-Test career of India's most successful captain
December 2, 2005: Makes his Test debut against Sri Lanka in Chennai, in a cyclone-hit match that spans just 146.2 overs. Makes 30 off 54 balls in India's only innings and holds a catch behind the stumps off the sixth ball of Sri Lanka's innings.
December 12, 2005: Scores his first Test fifty (51* off 51 balls) in the second innings at the Feroz Shah Kotla, putting on 104 for the seventh wicket with Yuvraj Singh in a partnership that shoves Sri Lanka out of the match. Holds two catches and effects a stumping.
January 23, 2006: At 281 for 5 in reply to Pakistan's 588, India are in trouble against Shoaib Akhtar. With the follow-on looming, Dhoni wades into Pakistan's bowling attack and biffs 148 off 153 balls to help India post 603, a lead of 15. The Test is drawn.
July 23, 2007: Helps draw India a Test at Lord's, scoring 76 not out off 159 balls while shepherding a sagging tail. Chasing 380, India found themselves at 145 for 5 with over three hours left in the match. Dhoni, contrary to his nature, shuts shot and bats for 203 minutes. His tenth-wicket stand of 19 with No 11 Sreesanth seals a nerve-wracking draw in the series opener against England.
April 11, 2008: Leads in a Test for the first time in Anil Kumble's absence. India beat South Africa inside three days on a rank turner at Kanpur's Green Park.
October 21, 2008: In his second match as Test captain - Kumble is out injured - Dhoni wins his first Man-of-the-Match award for innings of 92 and 68* in a 130-run win in the second Test against Australia in Mohali, which gives them a 1-0 lead.
November 6, 2008: Dhoni takes charge as full-time Test captain with Kumble retired. India beat Australia by 172 runs in Nagpur to win the series 2-0.
December 23, 2008: In his first full Test series as captain, Dhoni leads India to a 1-0 win over England in the aftermath of the horrific Mumbai terror attacks.
April 7, 2009: A drawn third Test in Wellington makes Dhoni the second India captain in 41 years to win a Test series in New Zealand.
December 6, 2009: Following a 2-0 series win over Sri Lanka, India become No 1 in the ICC Test rankings for the first time. Dhoni scores an unbeaten 100 off 154 balls in India's mammoth total of 726 for 9 declared.
February 18, 2010: India just managed to keep their No 1 ranking with an innings win over South Africa at Eden Gardens. Dhoni makes an impression on the series-levelling win with 132 not out off 187 balls in India's 643 for 6.
January 6, 2011: India draw their first Test series on South African soil, under Dhoni.
August 22, 2011: India, who have lost the No 1 ranking during the tough England summer, end the four-Test series 0-4.
November 15, 2011: An unbeaten 144 for Dhoni in India's first innings of 631 for 7 at Eden Gardens, a huge total from where they beat West Indies by an innings and 15 runs.
January 2012: Dhoni gets a one-Test suspension for a slow over-rate during the Perth Test. India have already lost the series 3-0 before the fourth match.
December 17, 2012: A rare embarrassment for Dhoni and India at home as England beat them 2-1 in a four-Test series. It was India's first home Test series loss in 28 years.
February 24, 2013: A first for Dhoni in Tests: a rollicking double-century that takes India from an uncomfortable period and into the lead over Australia on day three in Chennai. Dhoni walks in at the fall of Sachin Tendulkar for 81 after India had scored just 14 runs in the 11 overs and proceeds to dominate a stand of 128 with Virat Kohli before marshalling the lower order to a total of 515 for 8. At stumps, India's lead is 135 with Dhoni on 206 - the highest score by any wicketkeeper-captain and the best by an Indian wicketkeeper. He finishes with 224 and wins his second and final Man-of-the-Match award.
March 5, 2013: Dhoni becomes India's most successful captain. An innings-and-135-run win over Australia in Hyderabad takes him past Sourav Ganguly's record of 21 Test wins. It is the team's second-biggest victory over Australia. Dhoni's win-loss ratio is also the best for those to have led India in more than four Test matches.
March 24, 2013: Oversees India's first Test series whitewash over Australia by 4-0.
December 30, 2013: A third consecutive overseas Test series loss for Dhoni as India do down 1-0 in South Africa.
February 2014: India lose a Test and a series to New Zealand after 12 years. A fourth overseas defeat in succession.
July 21, 2014: India win at Lord's for the first time in 28 years, arguably the most famous Test win under Dhoni. They go up 1-0 in the second Test of the five-match series.
August 17, 2014: A three-day loss at The Oval means India lose to England 3-1 after taking the lead at Lord's - the fifth straight away series loss under Dhoni.
December 30, 2014: Shortly after India lose their sixth consecutive overseas Test series, Dhoni announces his retirement from Test cricket at the MCG.
