Mahendra Singh Dhoni Records: MS Dhoni Records in Test Matches

MS Dhoni Records in Test Matches – We all know Dhoni as the best finisher in ODIs and T20s. But many of us don’t  know that he was also a solid Test Cricketer.

Somehow, people have forgotten that he was a good Test player. He was India’s best Test captain. As a player he played only 90 Tests and captained India in 60 of them.  From the overall 90 Test matches, he has scored 4876 runs at an average of 38.09 with 6 hundreds and 33 fifties. His best score of 224 came against Australia at MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chepauk in Chennai.

MS Dhoni Records in Test Matches

Dhoni made his test debut against Sri Lanka in Chennai in 2004. He made 30 runs in his debut test. He scored his first 50 against Sri Lanka in Delhi. He scored 51 not out in that match.

224 Vs Australia:

It was Dhoni’s first and only double hundred in his career. His score of 224 is the highest by a wicketkeeper batsman against Australia. This is also the second highest score by an Indian captain in test. In his innings of 224, Dhoni shared a much needed partnership, first with Virat Kohli for the fifth wicket. They both added 128 and second with pacer Buvneshwar Kumar for the 9th wicket. This was the second highest partnership of that match. Dhoni and Bhuvi added 140 runs. This allowed India to post 572 in their 1st innings and took the match away from Australia. At the end, India won the match by 8 wickets.

Dhoni Records

148 Vs Pakistan

This was the maiden test match hundred for Dhoni. This hundred came against Pakistan in Faisalabad. This was a high scoring encounter. Pakistan scored 588 runs. Tons from Shahid Afridi and Inzamamm Ul Haq led to a massive score. India in reply scored 603. Thanks to Dravid’s 103, Dhoni’s 148 and all rounder Irfan Pathan’s 90. In second Innings, Younis Khan’s 194 and Mohd Yousuf 126 allowed Pakistan to score 490 for 8 declared. India was 21 for no loss in their second innings. At the end, the match was drawn.

Read: Why Dhoni collects the stumps after every win

MS Dhoni Records in Test Matches

76 not out Vs England at Lords

Dhoni’s match saving innings gave India a series victory on England soil after 28 years. India was completely on the back foot in their first test. England wanted to score big but they were bowled out for 298 runs. Andrew Strauss’s 96, Michel Vaugahan’s 79 were the top scorers for England. India’s reply to 298 was a poor one. Wasim Jaffer’s 58 and Rahul Dravid’s 37 were the only highlight of that Indian Innings. Dhoni didn’t trouble the scorers as he was out on a duck in 1st innings. With the advantage of 97 runs, England scored 282 in their second innings. They gave a target of 380 runs to chase on the final day. India was in spot of bother again, just like their 1st innings. Five wickets fell on just 145 runs on the board. Then VVS Laxman and Dhoni put a rescue act together.  Their 86 runs partnership, rescued the team a bit. But this was not enough. After Laxman’s wicket, it was Dhoni who fought with the England bowlers. Rain god also helped him. In the end, the match was drawn. In the second test India won the test match and the series for the first time in 28 years.

In 2011, India toured England again. But this time India suffered a 4-0 whitewash. They couldn’t manage to repeat the 2007 feat. Dhoni was the top scorer in two tests. He scored 77 and 74 not out, both the scorers came in Birmingham.

MS Dhoni Records in Test Matches

144 Vs West Indies at Kolkata

Dhoni’s superb knock of 144 sealed the game against the Windies. With Dhoni, Sachin Tendulkar and VVS Laxman also scored tons that ensured India to score 631 against the West Indies. Pragyan Ohja, Umesh Yadav and R Ashwin bowled superb spells to bundle out West Indies to 153. Then India decided to give follow on to West Indies. In their second Innings the visitors scored 453, but that wasn’t enough. India defeated the Windies by 15 runs.

Also Read: List of matches where Dhoni’s last shot made India win

MS Dhoni Records in Test Matches

133 not out Vs South Africa

India was down in the first match. The hosts went to Kolkata to save the series. For the second time in the history of India, one of the four top order batsmen scored a century. In reply to South Africa’s 296 in their first innings, India scored a mammoth of 643 runs, thanks to the tons from Sachin Tendulkar 106, Dhoni 132 not out,  VVS Laxman 143 not out and Sehwag 165. In the second innings, the South African batsmen could not last long. They were all out for just 290 runs. This gave India an easy win over the Proteas. Due to this solid performance from India in the 2nd test , the 3-match series ended in a Draw.

However, Dhoni could not score a century in the overseas tour. He captained India in 60 test matches, 30 at home and 30 abroad. At home he won 21 and lost only 3. In abroad, he won only 6 and lost 15. He had been criticised for this poor overseas records. This is the only low point of his captaincy career in tests.

Recommended Reading: Quotes by ‘Reputed’ Cricketers on Dhoni

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