Should MS Dhoni return to Test cricket?
The Indian team cannot think of MS Dhoni's return at this stage of his career but I still feel that he retired a bit too early from the longest format of the game.
December 30, 2014, India's former captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni announced his retirement from Test cricket following a draw against Australia at Melbourne. Virat Kohli replaced him as captain and Wriddhiman Saha replaced him as a wicketkeeper with immediate effect.
Since then, Virat Kohli has been a successful skipper having lost only one Test series as a full-time captain. The thing that has bothered India is the contribution from the wicketkeeper with the willow in hand. India has tried two wicketkeepers in the last two games and none of them has made a significant contribution with the bat. Saha has unarguably been one of the finest keepers that India has ever had but his exploits with the bat are at a halt since he's taken over from Dhoni.
India is now ready to experiment with Dinesh Karthik as a wicketkeeper in the third Test against South Africa. Karthik will wear the whites for the first time since 2010. Saha's form with the bat has been in doubt ever since he donned the whites for the first time, his batting average of 30.63 is fair for a wicketkeeper who bats at number eight.
There is a common thing between successful teams in recent times, the wicketkeeper has the ability to bat in the top six. Be it Quinton de Kock for South Africa or Tim Paine for Australia, the teams who have their wicketkeeper in the top six usually succeed. A lot of people will argue about Paine being a number 7 but the fact that Australia plays an all-rounder at number 6 is the reason for that.
Has India missed Dhoni behind the stumps?
There were numerous occasions when Saha would be slow to affect a stumping and my friends would shout "Dhoni Hota Toh Kar Leta"(Dhoni would have done it). India has missed more than this, Dhoni's motivating words and guidance from behind the stumps were an added hand to the bowlers. Dhoni had a batting average of 38.09 batting at number 6 and 7 throughout his career, he is a naturally aggressive batsman and this helped him to bat with the tail.
Wriddhiman Saha is ageing with time and it is inevitable that India will have to let him go at some stage or the other. The Indian team cannot think of MS Dhoni's return at this stage of his career but I still feel that he retired a bit too early from the longest format of the game. Dhoni's only focus, for now, will be the 2019 World Cup in England.
India should groom youngsters like Rishabh Pant for the longest format of the game. Pant is someone who has the ability to bat in the top six, all he needs to work on is his wicketkeeping which I feel is unsatisfactory. Pant should look to improve his keeping and he'll be on the radar of the selectors soon.