Mahendra Dhoni: India captain hints he may quit after defeat
Last updated on .From the section Cricket
India captain Mahendra Dhoni hinted he may stand down as skipper following his side's 3-1 Test series defeat in England.
The innings-and-244-run loss in the fifth Test at The Oval extended India's run of away form to only one win in 19 Tests.
Asked if he had taken the team as far as he can, Dhoni said: "Maybe, yes.
"You'll have to wait and watch. If I'm strong enough or not strong enough, you'll have to wait and get the news."
| India's last five Test series |
|---|
| July-August 2014: England (away) - lost 3-1 (5 Tests) |
| February 2014: New Zealand (away) - lost 1-0 (2 Tests) |
| December 2013: South Africa (away) - lost 1-0 (2 Tests) |
| November 2013: West Indies (home) - won 2-0 (2 Tests) |
| February-March 2013: Australia (home) - won 4-0 (4 Tests) |
The 33-year-old wicketkeeper took charge of the Test side in 2008 after leading India to the inaugural World Twenty20 title in 2007.
He has led India in a record 58 Tests and overseen a record 27 wins.
India lost only one of Dhoni's first 13 series in charge, winning eight - a run that saw them top the world Test rankings from late 2009 until the summer of 2011, a period in which Dhoni also led his team to victory in the World Cup.
However, India surrendered their number one ranking with a 4-0 whitewash in England, a result that began their poor run away from home.
This latest defeat came in a dramatic slide from a 95-run win in the second Test at Lord's, which gave the tourists a 1-0 series lead.
| Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar on BBC Test Match Special |
|---|
| "I don't know what to say. What can you say? You can get angry, say harsh things, but what good will it do? If you do not want to be playing Test cricket for India, quit. Just play limited-overs cricket. You should not be embarrassing your country like that." |
But, following a 266-run loss in the third Test at Southampton, India were twice beaten by an innings, failing to reach 200 in five consecutive attempts that culminated in being bowled out for 94 inside 30 overs on the third afternoon at The Oval.
"The last three Tests, we were not up to the mark," said Dhoni, who has scored 4,808 runs in 88 Tests. "We never competed.
"Today's batting was a reflection of a loss of confidence. It's disappointing.
"Right from the start, our batsmen haven't performed - it was the lower order. Later on in the series, when the lower order didn't perform, we saw there wasn't enough runs on the board."
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