India Captain MS Dhoni Announces Retirement from Test Cricket

India captain MS Dhoni has retired from Test cricket with immediate effect after his side's draw with Australia at the MCG on Tuesday confirmed a series loss Down Under with the tourists 2-0 down with one match remaining.

ESPN Cricinfo reported the announcement and indicated that Virat Kohli will step into the skipper's role for the fourth and final Test against Australia at the Sydney Cricket Ground, which starts on Tuesday, Jan. 6:

The Age's Jesse Hogan relayed the statement from the BCCI, India's national cricket board:

Dhoni's Test career finishes after 90 matches—60 as captain—in which he scored 4,876 runs at an average of 38.09, with his highest score of 224 coming against Australia in 2013, per ESPN Cricinfo.

The 33-year-old Dhoni spent six years as captain of the Test side after taking over from Anil Kumble in Nov. 2008, his debut having come three years before in 2005 against Sri Lanka.

He led India to the top of the ICC Test rankings in Dec. 2009 after series victories over Australia, England, New Zealand and Sri Lanka. Dhoni's first series loss as skipper did not come until 2011—a 4-0 whitewash against England.

Dhoni finishes with an impressive record as India's Test captain, per sports writer Dean Naidoo, but his side's recent form in the longest form of the game has been declining—they have lost their last four series:

Indian cricket fans will hope Dhoni's retirement from the Test game improves and prolongs his career in the ODI and T20 formats.