Indian Cricket
Dhoni Retires from Tests Mid-Series
By Gaurang
January 3 2015
In a move that was as enigmatic as some of his moves on the cricket field, Mahendra Singh Dhoni has thrown in the towel as far as Test matches are concerned mid-series. That he was clearly disinterested in that format of the game has been evident for a while, but as the most powerful player in Indian cricket after the retirement of Sachin Tendulkar, only he himself could decide when enough was enough.
That Dhoni quit mid-series, may indicate there may have been mounting pressure on him to relinquish the position that he clearly didn't relish. That he waited till the 3rd Test of the current series in Australia after leading India to yet another series defeat overseas was a pity as Virat Kohli showed in the first Test itself in Adelaide that he was ready to take over. However the selectors could hardly be faulted with persisting with Dhoni at the start of the series becuase little more than six months ago when India were losing badly in England, a case could hardly be made to replace Dhoni with Kohli. In England Kholi looked like a fish out of water with the late swinging ball cruelly exposing his one technical fault. So it could be argued that there was no way that Kohli could be appointed captain of the important tour to Australia right away.
However with his great run with the bat, and his taking on and taming of Mitchell Johnson, Kohli has shown what can be achieved with fighting aggression with aggression. Now with the series lost and especially since a suitable successor discovered in the form of Virat Kohli who with nearly 500 runs and three hundreds in the first three Tests and a near win in the first Test he captained, the time was right for Dhoni to retire.
However, the fact that Dhoni announced his retirement from Tests mid-series showed that the transition was not a completely smooth one. Nevertheless true fans of Indian Test cricket must have breathed a sigh of relief that at last the right thing for the sake of Indian Test cricket had occured. Dhoni will retire as the winningest Indian Test Captain with 27 wins in 60 matches, but he will also retire with the ignominy of being the Indian Test captain who has lost the most Tests overseas, losing 15, a number that only Stephen Fleming and Brian Lara have exceeded as matches lost by captains overseas. That great paradox is the defining statement of Dhoni's Test captaincy. He was brave, led from the front, temperamentally sound, and good tactical thinker who had the ability to stay calm under great pressure. This was enough for him to be nearly invincible at home and similarly invincible in the limited overs format everywhere. Overseas in Tests, he relied on the sound strategic thinking and planning of a brains trust which in the early days of his captaincy included stalwarts like Tendulkar, Dravid, Laxman, Kumble, and most of all the brilliant coach Gary Kirsten. However following India's winning of the World Cup in 2011 the brains trust dissolved. First Kirsten quit as coach and Duncan Fletcher, the Zimbabwean, was hired. Later the seniors retired one by one. Dhoni despite having the ability to pick and chose a team of his liking, and with a great personal chemistry with the enigmatic Fletcher, was not able to overcome his limits as an on field leader in challenging overseas conditions in the Test format. After losing 13 Tests overseas while winning only 3 since 2011, two of them against Bangladesh and the lowly West Indies, Dhoni finally was forced to step aside in the Test arena. The role or lack thereof Duncan Fletcher during this run of losses is not clear, but he too must share a large part of the blame.
Dhoni contributed much to Indian cricket especially in the limited overs version, winning both the Twenty20 and the ODI world Cup. He also happened to be in charge when India crested to No. 1 in Test cricket, though his contribution to that was much more dubious, as much of the heavy lifting had been done under his predecessors and coach Kirsten. Dhoni will forever be remembered as India's best wicketkeeper batsman, and his many individual Test records including the most victims as a keeper, and most runs, highest average, and highest individual score by a specialist wicketkeeper will not easily be surpassed. His contributions have been immense in the Test arena, especially at home and his retirement though sudden cannot be said to be unexpected. That he retired from Tests without much fanfare is in keeping with the no-nonsense, low key approach he has displayed throughout his career.
Now with the albatross of the Test captaincy and wicketkeeping removed from around his neck, one hopes he will find the zest and inspiriation to lead India to another triumph in the World Cup which follows the current Test series. Dhoni still has much to contribute as a player and captain to India in the limited overs version. With his aging body and waning interest in the Test match format, his decision to confine himself to contributing in the limited overs format is very good news for Indian cricket.
Digg
Delicious
Facebook
Reddit
Stumbleupon
03/01/2015 05:53
If you do not already have an account Click here to Register.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2015:02:01:04:09:40 by Birbal.
He has recently been honored as the biggest jerk in sports by the Australian public... a honor that the BEST of opponents get...such as Douglas Jardine...and Sourav Ganguly...
Kohli has deflated the "myth" of "Enforcer" Johnson...which rose based on how he terrified the hapless English... Btw, Ishant Sharma also hustled and terrified them to their doom... at Lord's...
Now Harris the most successful of Australian bowlers is moaning about the pitch...and Johnson is likely to miss Sydney likely to be another flat pitch...with a supposed hamstring pull...
The fact that the series is 2-0 at the moment and not 3-0 and that Dhoni's last Test was not yet another overseas defeat can be attributed largely to the aggression of Kohli...after Dhoni's own unimaginative captaincy had let Australia off the hook yet again allowing the tail to wag for nearly 300 runs...though he had half the side out for just over 200. The the conservative approach of Steve Smith, who wouldn't have wanted to be pegged as the one who let India wriggle back into the series also played a role in the late declaration that ensured a draw in Melbourne..
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 2015:01:03:16:31:35 by Birbal.
It was a right move considering the series was already decided after Dhoni fighting to draw the 3rd test match. The next series is 7 months away so this 1 match would give Kohli a chance to assert his captainship..
The tributes given to Dhoni by the world after his retirement was mind-boggling and for a moment you would forget the hatred that can be read on this forum.
More Indian Cricket headlines
- Player Contracts/Retainers Announced for 2021
- Indian Test Squad for Upcoming England Series Announced
- Indian Test, ODI, and T20i Squads for Australia Tour
- Two New Members of Senior Selection Committee Chosen
- Janini & Vrinda: New Wave of Indian Female Umpires Coming Up
- Wasim Jaffer: The Man Who Loved Batting
- India Start Next Phase of Test Championship as Favorites
- India U19 Reach World Cup Finals For Third Time in a Row
- Four Time World Champions India Announce U19 Squad
Indian Cricket latest threads
- DOMESTIC CRICKET LINKS BLOG
- Player Contracts/Retainers Announced for 2021
- Indian Test Squad for Upcoming England Series Announced
- Indian Test, ODI, and T20i Squads for Australia Tour
- Two New Members of Senior Selection Committee
- Janini & Vrinda: New Wave of Indian Female Umpires Coming Up
- Wasim Jaffer: The Man Who Loved Batting
- India Start Next Phase of Test Championship as Favorites
- India U19 Reach World Cup Finals For Third Time in a Row
- Four Time World Champions India Announce U19 Squad