Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s sudden decision to quit Test cricket has put the entire cricketing world in a shock. Dhoni is still 33, young enough in a sport where the legendary Sachin Tendulkar played well into his late 30’s. Certainly, Dhoni, who is also India’s most successful Test captain had a plenty of years left in him. But just like a trademark Dhoni innings, the decision to quit too, was completely unpredictable.
Here’s what the three legends of Indian cricket, Sourav Ganguly, Sunil Gavaskar and VVS Laxman have to say about Dhoni’s retirement from Test cricket.
Former India Captain Sourav Ganguly
On Why Dhoni Quit
“He did come into the series with a finger injury and none of us have any idea whether that had become worse. Whatever may have happened, I feel the decision to give up captaincy was a right one. Although I feel his decision not to play Test cricket was incorrect. I have been in this situation before and I feel it would have allowed MSD to play freely and do justice to his ability as a Test batsman. We would have seen a rejuvenated MSD for the remaining part of his Test career.”
On Dhoni’s Captaincy
“Captaincy never gets easier with time and MSD had been in this job for a long long time. Captaining day in day out in all formats is so tough and in addition to that wicket-keeping and batting would have made life extremely difficult for him. It deserves special mention that he managed to do that for such a long time.”
On the Criticism Against Dhoni
“In the recent past, there had been lot of criticism of MSD’s captaincy in the longer format from all quarters of the cricketing world, and unknowingly it has a toll on any one, however strong he may be. To be honest, it wasn’t the most biased one either. If you analyse MSD’s tenure as captain, to me it could be divided in two parts, one before 2011 and the one after 2011, and as much as a honest cricketer he is, he must agree that the one after 2011 has been a nightmare to him, especially overseas, losing as many as 12 Tests out of 18. To the best it can be a shattering one and how much cool and introvert person MSD is, it was bound to affect him.”
On Dhoni’s Future
“Now where does it leave MSD from here? He will continue to play and lead India in the shorter format till the World Cup. He is the greatest in one-day format and probably one of the best, because no captain in world cricket has three world titles under the belt. The entire country must agree that he has set some high standards to be matched in terms of one-day captaincy.”
Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar
On Dhoni as a Leader:
“He was a top class leader…the biggest thing about Mahendra Singh Dhoni is he’s been a supremely content person with whatever has come his way in life. No better state to be in than being supremely content.What he has achieved for Indian cricket is incredible, what he brought and his contribution cannot be measured in words.”
On the Pressure Getting to Dhoni:
“It just got a little too much for him. There were huge expectations, so they were putting a lot of strain on him. The overseas defeats and seeing the team concede 500 runs and bowling 100 overs in almost every Tests took a toll on his mind also. I have always said that a captain is as good as the team”
On Why Dhoni Decided to Quit Test Captaincy
“He may have thought that it’s the right time to hand over Test captaincy to Virat Kohli. Virat was not affected by captaincy as he reeled off a century in each innings. That’s why he is stepping away for Kohli, who is having fantastic series in Australia.”
Former Indian Test Cricketer VVS Laxman:
On Dhoni’s Future After Quitting Test Cricket
“He is still the ODI captain and India will require him in the World Cup in Australia and New Zealand where India will look to retain the title. But personally, I feel he could have stayed on for another 2-3 years with India playing a lot of Tests at home next year, and he could have again given a shot at getting India back to top position.”
On How the World Would Remember Dhoni
“The world will remember him as someone who led with authority. He was a match-winner with the bat and had a unique technique to his keeping. He always ensured that the dressing room atmosphere was good. His legacy is that he created a good transition in Indian cricket.”
