India’s captain retires from Tests after relinquishing Border-Gavaskar Trophy, replaced by Virat Kohli for Sydney Test
India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has retired from Test cricket, effective immediately.
The announcement was made via a press release just hours after the third Commonwealth Bank Test match at the MCG ended in a draw, returning the Border-Gavaskar Trophy to Australia, who are 2-0 up with one Test to play.
“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,” BCCI secretary Sanjay Patel said in a statement.
“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 MS 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 6th of January 2015.”
Dhoni was in a jovial mood when he faced the media after play today, but he didn’t make any reference to his future in the game.
Around 45 minutes after the press conference, the BCCI released a statement announcing his retirement.
The 33-year-old retires with a Test record that includes 90 matches, 4876 runs, six centuries, 33 fifties and an average of 38.09.
He also took 256 catches and 38 stumpings, including nine dismissals in his final match.
He captained his country 60 times in Tests for 27 wins, 18 losses and 15 draws and led them to the world No.1 Test ranking in 2009, a position they held for two years.
His last innings as a Test player was a vitally important one; an unbeaten 24 from 39 balls to help India hold out for a draw against a rampant Australia on the fifth afternoon at the MCG.
Wicketkeeper-batsman Wriddhiman Saha is set to replace Dhoni in the side for the fourth Test, as he did when the skipper missed the first Test in Adelaide with a thumb injury.
