New Delhi: Legendary India cricketer Mahendra Singh Dhoni, better known as MS Dhoni, had a very humble beginning in international cricket, going all out against all the odds to secure himself a spot in the Indian national cricket team, eventually across the formats. His journey was full of obstacles as he battled the system while continuing to shine with his exceptional batting and wicketkeeping skillset.
He finally debuted for Team India in December 2004 in an ODI match against Bangladesh. A year later, on December 2, 2005, Dhoni donned the whites for India for the very first time as he played his first international red-ball game, a Test match against Sri Lanka at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. The ground would later turn out to become his second home as he still plays for Chennai Super Kings (CSK) in the Indian Premier League (IPL) and enjoys a very strong fanbase.
D test debutant! 🇮🇳
On this day, Thala began his test cricket journey from Anbuden! 🥳#WhistlePodu #Yellove🦁💛 pic.twitter.com/7OnFEb5CUw
— Chennai Super Kings (@ChennaiIPL) December 2, 2024
Nonetheless, talking about his Test debut which came under the captaincy of Rahul Dravid, he came out to bat at no. 7 for India in the first innings and scored a decent 30 runs off 54 balls with the help of six fours. Dhoni was expected to breathe some life into the dull Indian innings as stalwarts like Dravid, Virender Sehwag, and Sachin Tendulkar all departed on scores of 20s and 30s.
Dhoni supported himself and wasn’t afraid to loft the ball over the fielders. In those 54 deliveries, he scored more fours than what both Dravid and Tendulkar had managed in 231 and made sure that he continuously rotated the strike. He eventually departed after holing out to Avishka Gunawardene at long-off, off the bowling of right-arm leg break Malinga Bandara.
The rain-curtailed match was eventually drawn but India won the remaining two Tests to clinch the three-match series 2-0.
Dhoni’s Test career
Dhoni’s international Test career spanned nine years. He featured in 90 Tests for India in this timeframe, hitting 4876 runs in 144 innings at an average of 38.09 and a strike rate of 59.12. He has six centuries and a double century in Tests to his credit. He eventually became the skipper of the team and led India to some famous victories overseas in Tests.
He is also credited for making the Indian team a force to be reckoned with in the longest format of the game. He bid adieu to the format during the 2015-15 Border-Gavaskar Test series, playing his final Test (boxing day) against Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground.
MS Dhoni played 90 Tests for India in his international career and it all began from a place he is very closely attached to – the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium in Chennai. Cricket Sports News: Latest Cricket News, Cricket Live Score, Sports Breaking News from Sports Today
