Ishant Sharma reveals that MS Dhoni retired from Tests to groom Wriddhiman Saha for the future

Indian speedster Ishant Sharma revealed that MS Dhoni retired from Test cricket to groom Wriddhiman Saha for future assignments in the longest format of the game. With India trailing 0-2 in the four-match Test series in Australia back in 2014, MS Dhoni called it a day in the five-day format, leaving Virat Kohli to lead […]
 
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Ishant Sharma reveals that MS Dhoni retired from Tests to groom Wriddhiman Saha for the future

Indian speedster Ishant Sharma revealed that MS Dhoni retired from Test cricket to groom Wriddhiman Saha for future assignments in the longest format of the game.

With India trailing 0-2 in the four-match Test series in Australia back in 2014, MS Dhoni called it a day in the five-day format, leaving Virat Kohli to lead the Indian side in the last encounter at the Sydney Cricket Ground. While this came as a surprise, many thought it was a welcome move to pass on the baton to his successor.

Ishant Sharma, who featured in the 2014 Boxing Day Test match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground – the last match of MS Dhoni, revealed that the world cup winning captain stepped down from the national team to groom his fellow teammate Wriddhiman Saha for the upcoming home season and subsequent away tours.

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“Although he was close to 100 Tests, he was always a team man. I remember he told me when we were in England that it is not important for him to play hundred Tests. Instead, he felt that we need to start grooming (Wriddhiman) Saha. That’s why he took the sudden decision to retire, I feel,” said Ishant Sharma on Ravichandran Ashwin’s Youtube channel.

Ishant Sharma reveals that MS Dhoni retired from Tests to groom Wriddhiman Saha for the future

I was stunned to hear about Dhoni’s retirement, states Ishant

In the MCG Test, Ishant was down with an injury but still continued to play on injections due to severe knee pain. When it was almost tea on Day 4, the Indian could not bear more pain and informed his captain that won’t be able to continue further. It was only after the match that he got to know about Dhoni’s retirement, or else he would have continued to bowl.

“When it was almost Tea on Day 4, and Australia were about to declare I told Mahi Bhai that I cannot take injections anymore. So, he told me, that’s okay. You don’t need to bowl now. Then something happened, and he told me, ‘lambu tune mujhe Test match mein chhod diya’ (you have deserted me in a Test match),” explained Ishant.

“I did not understand. Then he elaborated, ‘you left me midway in my last Test match. “I was stunned. I told him if I knew I would definitely have continued to play. So that was a really touching story. I didn’t know till the last day that he was retiring,” concluded the bowler.