It was in Kanpur where Dhoni led India for the first time in test cricket. Nineteen months later, he has yet to lose a game in the longer version
It was in Kanpur where Dhoni led India for the first time in test cricket. Nineteen months later, he has yet to lose a game in the longer version
Mahendra Singh Dhoni is considered to be one of India's luckiest captains. When Rahul Dravid resigned as skipper, Dhoni was given the one-day team's reins in 2007.
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And when it came to Test matches, it was in April 2008 in the Leather City that the Ranchi Rambo led the team for the first time since Anil Kumble was sidelined with an injury. But ever since he won his first toss against Graeme Smith in a must-win tie in order to avoid a series defeat against South Africa at home, Dhoni has been on a roll as a Test skipper.
In the eight Tests he has captained India, the 28-year-old hasn't lost a single match. What's more impressive is that the Indian team has won five of those eight matches. Naturally, Dhoni wore his trademark smile when asked about returning to Kanpur for a Test match. "The wicket was tailor-made for us. The ball was turning and you had the best spinners with you," Dhoni said on the eve of India's second Test against Sri Lanka at the Green Park stadium.
"That was a very good experience, starting in that manner when we were down in the series. It was an important game. We have fond memories of that but at the end of the day, you have to start every game from scratch."
Looking back on his 19 months as Test skipper, Dhoni hoped the team will get better in the coming days. "It's a process. The team changes every now and then, you miss players because of injuries," Dhoni said. "The good thing is you always have experienced players who can help you out. The journey has been good so far, I am just hoping that it gets better and better. International cricket is all about the tough moments you go through."
In October last year, both the wins during India's home series against Australia came under Dhoni'su00a0 leadership. The team also won a rare series in New Zealand earlier this year.
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