Did MS Dhoni retire too early from Test cricket?
MS Dhoni is an iconic figure in the history of Indian cricket. He is undoubtedly the best wicket-keeper India has produced and is one of the best captains to step into the cricket ground. I mean, why not? The legend has led India to three ICC Trophies and is the only captain in the history of cricket to have won all the ICC Trophies as a captain.
His records speak for itself, and his services will mark a stamp on the history books of Indian Cricket. The man is an idol to billions of people all over the world and why not? He has achieved so much in his career and had his hands on almost every trophy, there is, to win.
His services will never be forgotten. The Indian team will miss him when he retires from all the formats of the game. Now, the main question is, did MS Dhoni retire too early in Test cricket? Did he have three or maybe four years of Test cricket left in him? Here's why we think MS Dhoni should have continued in Test cricket:
#1 No Fitness Issues
You may say that MS Dhoni is not the same batsman anywhere, you may question his finishing abilities now, but one thing that you can never question is MS Dhoni's fitness. He is as good as you'll get.
Currently, he's one of the fittest Indian cricketers, and he is 37 years old. Age, for him, clearly is just a number. He is one of the quickest runners between the wickets and can rotate strike easily because of his speed.
The kind of fitness MS Dhoni had back in 2014; he could have very well gone on to play Test cricket for good four years.
#2 No Replacement
Mahendra Singh Dhoni has left a considerable mark in India's Test team. India had tried so many wicket keeper batsmen in Test cricket like Dinesh Karthik, Parthiv Patel and many more, but none of them was able to play up to the mark. With MS Dhoni's inclusion in the team, India found a fixed wicketkeeper who could also perform with the bat.
For years, MSD served Indian cricket behind the stumps, and he never disappointed his country. After MS Dhoni announced his retirement, many wicketkeepers tried to fit in his shoes including Wriddhiman Saha, Rishabh Pant, Dinesh Karthik and even Parthiv Patel. But none of them has been able to fill the void. MSD in the Test team would have made an enormous difference to the side.
#3 Overseas Wins
Over the last few years, India has given a tough fight to the home team whenever they toured. They were always on the front foot at one time, but they still fell just short of the glory because of recurring batting collapses. Back in 2014, India was all set to chase down a massive total of 363 against Australia in Australia.
They were the favourites to win the match as they were, at one stage, just two down for 240. However, the middle order could not capitalise on the start given by the batsmen and India eventually fell short. As seen in the past, MS Dhoni is a master of such conditions and had he played that match, and he would have helped India over the line.
Without MS Dhoni, the middle order has been shaky and are incapable of saving India, in case of a collapse. The story of India's tour of South Africa and India's tour of England would have been different with the presence of just one man, MS Dhoni.
#4 Performance With The Bat
MS Dhoni was one of India's best batsmen in Test cricket in 2013 and 2014. He scored at an average close to 40 in these two years, which is magnificent for someone who comes in to bat at #7. Not only did he score when the team was in good condition but also he was the man who helped India through a collapse.
He was a dynamic cricketer for India with the bat and always did what the team needed him to do. MSD’s inclusion in the group always strengthened the team at all levels. Be it be team's strength or team’s approach or team's morale or team's batting for that matter.
Conclusion
All in all, it is apparent that India is missing the services of MS Dhoni in Test cricket and according to me, he could have continued to play Test cricket for another three or four years, but he retired too early from Test cricket, leaving a void to fill.