DHAKA: Mahendra Singh Dhoni has retired from Test cricket with immediate effect. The decision comes after India drew the third Test in Melbourne on Tuesday. Out of the 90 Tests he played, Dhoni led India in 60 matches.

� A BCCI statement said: “One of India's greatest Test captains under whose leadership India became the No.1 team in the Test rankings Dhoni, has decided to retire from Test cricket citing the strain of playing all formats of cricket.

Dhoni has chosen to retire from Tests with immediate effect in order to concentrate on ODIs and T20 formats.

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 vs Australia - the first two being David Murray (WI) at Melbourne in December 1981 and Ridley Jacobs (WI) 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 (15440), Graeme Smith (14878), Stephen Fleming (11561) and Allan Border (11062).

BCCI, while respecting the decision of Dhoni to retire from Test cricket, wishes to thank him for his enormous contribution to Tests and the laurels that he has brought to India."

Virat Kohli will captain India in the fourth and final Test against Australia in Sydney from January 6. India have already lost the Border-Gavaskar Trophy having lost the first two Tests in Adelaide and Brisbane. Kohli had led in the first Test when Dhoni preferred to rest his injured right hand.

Source: NDTV
BDST: 1527 HRS, DEC 30, 2014