Top contenders who can replace MS Dhoni in Indian Test side

Handing over the batonFor very long, the Indian cricket selectors and captains had struggled to find a wicket-keeper who was also a reliable contributor with the bat, thus giving more balance to the side. Many keepers were tried out, but none managed to impress much. That was until Mahendra Singh Dhoni came along.With tidy and reliable keeping skills in addition to his batting ability, Dhoni proved to be the answer for India’s search for a wicket-keeper batsman and cemented his spot for almost a decade, much to the delight of the selectors and not so much delight of other wicket-keepers in the country.However, with Dhoni’s decision to quit Test cricket recently, there is an opening for a wicket-keeper batsman in the Test side. We look at some options which the Indian selectors will consider as they look to find a replacement for the now-former Indian Test captain.

#6 CM Gautam

The wicket-keeper of the 2013-14 Ranji Trophy champions Karnataka, Gautam is one of the top wicket-keeper batsmen in Indian domestic circuit. A very capable batsman, who played for Karnataka as a specialist batsman for almost 5 seasons, Gautam has a batting average over 47 with the highest of 264* in first class cricket. Gautam is a very safe and reliable keeper and averages more than 2 dismissals every innings in first class cricket.

While Gautam hasn’t yet been in the reckoning for a Team India spot, Dhoni’s early retirement means that his name will probably be discussed the next time Indian selectors sit to select a Test squad.