5 best innings of MS Dhoni in Test cricket
Mahendra Singh Dhoni is a man who needs no introduction. The former Indian captain has been an icon of the game and is also one of India's most successful captains ever.
It was under his leadership that India won the World T20 in 2007. Dhoni followed it up by winning the World Cup in 2011, and the Champions Trophy in 2013. India also became the No.1 ranked Test side during his tenure.
Not to forget, the four Indian Premier League (IPL) titles the Chennai Super Kings won under his captaincy. The 'Captain Cool' of Indian cricket has been one of the most decorated players the sport has seen. Despite that, the lad from Ranchi has always been down to earth and unassuming.
MS Dhoni burst onto the scene in his own style - with long hair and powerful forearms. He then went on to play 90 Test matches for India, leading them while they were at the top of the Test rankings. On that note, let's take a look at his five best Test knocks.
#5: 99 vs England at Nagpur, 2012
Coming into this contest, the Indian side were trailing 1-2 in the four-match Test series against England. With the Poms making 330 in the first innings, India were in trouble at 71-4, before Virat Kohli and MS Dhoni put on a 198-run stand for the fifth wicket to bring their side back into the contest.
The captain's 99 came off 246 deliveries, as he displayed immense calmness and maturity during this knock. India declared four short of England's total in a bid to force a result, but the game meandered out into a tame draw.
The Indian captain missed out on a well-deserved century after he was run out in an attempt to steal a single and keep strike. India went on to lose the series but their captain cool produced one of his finest knocks as a Test cricketer.
#4 132* vs South Africa at Kolkata, 2010
India welcomed a dangerous South African team to the sub-continent a few weeks after becoming the world's top-ranked side in Test cricket. However, the hosts slumped to an innings defeat in the first Test at Nagpur.
The Proteas were cruising at 218/1 in the second and last Test, after winning the toss and opting to bat first. However, they were pegged back and skittled out for 296, courtesy some brilliant bowling from Zaheer Khan and Harbhajan Singh.
Virender Sehwag then smacked the Proteas bowlers around to score 165 runs and lead the charge for India.
When MS Dhoni walked in at 384/6 to bat alongside VVS Laxman, the two absolutely wreaked havoc to take the game away from the visitors. Their 259-run partnership took India to a huge lead of 347 runs over South Africa.
Mahi got his eye in before launching a memorable counter-attack, smacking a well-constructed century. His knock set up a mammoth victory for India, as they won the game by an innings and 57 runs.
#3 76* vs England at Lords, 2007
This knock came only two years into his international career and on his first tour to England. India were set a target of 380 and then, the hosts ran through the visiting team's top-order, leaving India stranded at 145/5. With an entire day of play to go, the Three Lions were the favorites to win this contest.
However, the pair of VVS Laxman and MS Dhoni stitched together a crucial 86-run stand, keeping the hosts at bay. While Laxman departed to a ripper from Chris Tremlett, Dhoni hung around with the tailenders to ensure India held onto an important draw.
While the weather came to India's rescue as well on the Final day, Dhoni's defiant innings proved pivotal in Indian winning the series 1-0, their first win in England since 1986.
#2 148 vs Pakistan at Faislabad, 2006
The lad from Ranchi wasted no time in finding his best form in the longest format of the game after taking ODI cricket by storm. Playing in just his fifth Test match and against arch-rivals Pakistan, Dhoni lit up Faislabad with his blistering knock.
After a solid 197-run stand for the second wicket between Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman, India were in a spot of bother at 281/5 as they trailed their neighbors by a margin of 307 runs.
Against a fearsome bowling attack of Shoaib Akhtar, Mohammad Asif, Danish Kaneria, Shahid Afridi, and Abdul Razzaq, MS Dhoni belted 148 runs off just 153 balls at a strike rate of 96.73.
His 210-run stand for the sixth wicket alongside Irfan Pathan put India in a commanding position. In his enterprising knock of 148, Dhoni hit 19 fours and 4 sixes, leading India to safety in what turned out to be a draw.
#1 MS Dhoni's 224 vs Australia, 2013
The Thala's only double-century came in this Test, on his adopted home ground - Chepauk in Chennai. The visitors scored 380 after batting first, led by a century from their captain Michael Clarke.
India were in a spot of bother when MS Dhoni walked in at 196/4. However, the captain led from the front and showed his class in this innings. With Virat Kohli needing some support at the other end, he found the perfect partner in Dhoni.
The two put on 128 runs for the fifth wicket, with Dhoni contributing 72 runs. He then had a match-winning 140-run stand alongside Bhuvneshwar Kumar to frustrate the Aussies and gather a 166-run lead.
Australia were bundled out for 241 in the second innings, with India cruising to victory. This was MS Dhoni's highest First-Class score and he unsurprisingly won the Man of the Match award for his performance. India eventually white-washed Australia 4-0 in this series.
#ThankYouMSDhoni
As MS Dhoni calls it a day on his glorious career, #TeamIndia members recall fond memories and pay their heartfelt tributes to the former captain.
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