Today when entire world was in dilemma
that how to digest the draw match between India & Australia, Just few
minutes later Boom… A breaking news flashed on my phone as Indian captain M S
Dhoni retires from test cricket with immediate effect. Unfortunately I was
having my lunch at that time. I rushed to my office. I saw cricket lovers from my office were sad, as they got to know about it.
Let’s check what he has achieved
in his 10 years of test cricket life.
- · Captaining a nation as wicket keeper (60 matches, next is Mushfiquir Rahim from Bangladesh with 19 tests) in world cricket
- · India’s most successful test captain (27 win out of 60 matches)
- · India’s most successful wicket-keeper batman in terms of match played (90, Next is Syed Kirmani with 88 tests), Highest individual test score 224 (next is Budhi Kundaran with 192).
- · India’s most successful wicket keeper with 294 dismissals in 90 test matches (Next syed kirmani with 198 dismissals), 38 stumping in tests (equal on top with Kirmani).
- · India’s successful Wicket keeper batsman with 4876 runs & 6 centuries followed by 33 half centuries. No other wicket keeper is near to that score.
- · He is India’s highest run getter (3454 runs) as test captain surpassed Sunil Gavaskar’s 3449 runs.
- · He is India’s highest run getter (2871 runs) of test no 7 batsman surpassed Kapil Dev’s 2861 runs.
- · He has affected 9 dismissals in his last test. It’s an Indian record for wicket keeper.
Whatever records I have mentioned
here for Dhoni, always remember I only mentioned as “most successful”. He is
having numerous record as a wicket keeper as in dismissals, he ranked no 5. He is ranked no 3 among top run getter in world wicket keepers. No 1 in world to lead his nation for 60 times in test cricket as
wicket keeper. & records are just numbers for him.
I never saw a player in Indian cricket,
who retired at the age of 33 from test cricket. Still lots of players are in Indian domestic cricket circuit of 33+ ages. Who are hoping to crack one more time into test team. He never
plays for records, we can see here. He is just 124 runs behind 5000 test runs,
6 dismissals behind of 300 test dismissals & most importantly 10 tests
behind 100 tests. Who has the courage to give away such records only because he
thinks in different manners!
In his captaincy we saw Team
India had risen to no 1 in test cricket. It never happened in past. Although
when he left the team to Kohli, Team India is on no 6 spot.
He is a professional player he proved it once more time as he attended the post match press conference but didn't say anything. He
called BCCI secretary & informed him calmly regarding his decision. Nice to
see BCCI accepted the request. One thing I am sure it’s a brave decision as we know
he might lose his captaincy to Kohli in test matches but his position as wicket keeper batsman
was never under scrutiny. Though he took such decision that entire world get shocked and wish him best of luck for future. Entire world admires him as among world's best captains.
However just for your info that
he is not out from world cricket as he is still THALAIVA of limited version of
Team India & Team CSK. So he is still THALA of Indian cricket. He will carry
the Indian flag in the world cup 2015 in Australia.
You are the reason people loves
test matches in India, because we love your super sixes.
We will miss you THALAIVA in
longer format, best of luck for your future. However No 7 will belong to you
forever. Whoever will join Indian cricket as wicket keeper he needs to match
the macho man’s shoes/benchmark.
Once a Thala… Always THALAIVA….
