Indian skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni Tuesday decided to retire from Tests citing the strain of playing all three formats of cricket after India drew the third Test against Australia. Virat Kohli will captain the side in the fourth and final Test in Sydney.
Dhoni’s announcement in Melbourne came following the third Test, which ended in a draw that gave Australia a 2-0 series win with the final match to be played in Sydney Jan 6.
Dhoni will retire with immediate effect in order to concentrate on the limited overs formats of the game.
In a statement by the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) issued in Mumbai Tuesday, secretary Sanjay Patel said the board respected Dhoni’s decision and thanked him for his “enormous contribution to Tests cricket and the laurels that he has brought to India”.
“M.S. Dhoni has chosen to retire from Test Cricket with immediate effect in order to concentrate on ODI and T20 formats,” said the BCCI statement.
“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.”
“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 Jan 6 2015.”
Dhoni has played 90 Tests for India, scoring 4,876 runs and was instrumental in taking the Indian team to the top of Test rankings.
India became the No.1 team in the International Cricket Council’s Test rankings under Dhoni’s leadership.
Of the 90 Tests he played, Dhoni led India in 60 matches.
Dhoni (eight catches, one stumping) became the first Indian wicketkeeper to effect nine dismissals in a Test match in Melbourne.
Overall, he became the third wicketkeeper to achieve the feat against Australia – the first two being David Murray (West Indies) at Melbourne in December 1981 and Ridley Jacobs (also of the West Indies) at Melbourne in December 2000.
Dhoni also became the first Indian batsman to complete 10,000 runs or more as captain in international cricket, joining Ricky Ponting (15,440), Graeme Smith (14,878), Stephen Fleming (11,561) and Allan Border (11,062).
India have already lost the Border-Gavaskar Trophy, having lost the first two Tests to Australia in Adelaide and Brisbane.
Kohli led in the first Test when Dhoni was rested due to his injured right hand.
PUBLISHED IN THE INDIAN SUN / INDIAN
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