India Move on as Mahendra Singh Dhoni Steps Down as Test Captain

Despite the helicopter shots and the long hair that marked his early introduction into international cricket, there has always been something slightly understated about Mahendra Singh Dhoni.

When it came to bringing the curtain down on his Test career, he could not have chosen a quieter way to do it.

Having helped India survive for a draw in the third Test against Australia in Melbourne—a result that was not enough to keep the series alive—the touring skipper went through the protocol of his post-match press conferences without ever mentioning it would be his last match.

Then, just as it seemed the dust had settled at the MCG and everyone was starting to think about moving on to Sydney for New Year, the BCCI released a statement that forced journalists back to their computers and left a nation questioning the timing and the reasoning behind the sudden announcement.

"

Respect to MS Dhoni for retiring from Tests. Plenty have dragged out their careers, he's given India a chance for a fresh start.

— Alt Cricket (@AltCricket) December 30, 2014"

Dhoni had called it a day. Citing “the strain of playing in all formats,” he abruptly ended his time as a Test player.

No fuss. No fanfare ending. No chance to be cheered by the crowd every time he stepped foot on the field in his finale. Not even a guard of honour from the opposition as he arrived at the crease for his last innings.

Instead, after 90 appearances, Dhoni departed with a four-paragraph press release that didn’t even contain a single quote from the man himself.

Once the initial shock began to wear off, the tributes began to flow. Speaking to ESPN Cricinfo, Dhoni’s former team-mate Rahul Dravid said the wicketkeeper-batsman had “led more by example than by rhetoric.”

Another old colleague, Sachin Tendulkar, was among those who took to Twitter, per Cricket Country, to praise the 33-year-old for a career that saw him score 4,876 runs, including six centuries, and claim 294 dismissals behind the stumps.

Dhoni probably took the compliments in his stride. That is the way he has always tried to deal with any situation, positive or negative.

In one-day cricket his outlook has been considered cool, calm and calculated. In Tests he was at times accused of not caring. If that was indeed the case, why did he not stop playing long ago? Did it really take him nearly a century of matches to work out it wasn't quite for him?

It must be remembered that he steered his country to the top of the ICC rankings in the longest form of the game, though they have had a lean time of it of late.

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His style of captaincy bears no resemblance to his batting. When facing bowlers Dhoni often looks to dominate, sometimes even humiliate. As a leader, he was often viewed as defensive and slow to react.

He came under heavy criticism after the 3-1 series defeat in England; former captain and selector Dilip Vengsarkar, per the Guardian, said his selection policies and field placings "lacked common sense." Martin Crowe in his ESPN Cricinfo column suggested India would not miss Dhoni's "strange, often weird, tactics."

Still, Dhoni had not led his team on home soil in a Test since November 2013, during which time they had toured South Africa, New Zealand, England and then Australia.

That is a schedule that would take a toll on any man, even those of a seemingly relaxed disposition.

So, when India host Sri Lanka and South Africa in 2015, it will be under the guidance of newly-appointed skipper Virat Kohli.

The batsman seems unlikely to take a page out of the Dhoni book of leadership—Kohli has shown during the current series with Australia that he is willing to fight fire with fire, both on and off the field.

Kohli, per the Guardian, said after a run-in with Mitchell Johnson during his innings of 169 in Melbourne that he did not mind a little confrontation with the opposition. In fact, he believed it made him a better player. He may find he has to calm himself in certain situations now he has the added responsibility of captaincy resting on his shoulders.

That extra burden has now been lifted from Dhoni, who will get to take a break before he begins to prepare to captain India again in the upcoming World Cup.

There is never more pressure on an India cricketer than a final in your own back yard. In 2011, with his side at 114-3 needing 275 for victory over Sri Lanka in Mumbai, Dhoni decided to take the responsibility himself and go into bat.

Just over two hours later he was unbeaten on 91 and celebrating becoming a world champion. While he admitted afterwards he had felt the pressure during the event, Dhoni had never shown it outwardly.

He will lead India in the defence of their title, but who knows if he will carry on in charge beyond the 2015 tournament.

Do not let the grey flecks on top, or in the facial hair when he lets it grow out, fool you into thinking he is nearing the end of the line. If, though, Dhoni decides to quit international cricket anytime soon, you are unlikely to know about it in advance.

He is one of the game’s great performers in limited-overs cricket, yet it seems from his Test departure that he would rather sneak off back stage than retire to a standing ovation.