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3 Embarrassing Test Records Set By MS Dhoni’s India That Might Never Be Broken
Follow UsThere were some highs, but his tenure, especially away from home, was filled with the lowest of lows
The Indian team led by Shubman Gill, on day four of the Old Trafford Test, conceded over 600 runs, making it the first time in a decade India had leaked over 600 in any red-ball game. It’s already a small stain in the legacy of skipper Gill, but it’s easy to forget just how bad India were under MS Dhoni.
There were some highs, but his tenure, especially away from home, was filled with the lowest of lows, some that might never get topped in the future.
Two SENA whitewashes in the same year (4-0 vs AUS and 4-0 vs ENG)
2011 saw India sink to one of their lowest points in Test history. The team played a total of eight SENA Tests in the 2011/12 season and, crazily enough, they ended up losing all eight games. They were first thumped 4-0 by England in England, and then, six months later, were hammered 4-0 by an Australian side in transition.
Australia had plenty of inexperienced players in the form of Warner, Starc, Pattinson, Ed Cowan and Lyon playing that series, but it didn’t matter one bit as they showed no mercy to an ageing Indian side.
In fact, from 2011 onwards, India played 19 SENA Tests under the captaincy of Dhoni, and won just 1, losing 13 while drawing 5.
Conceding 600+ four times in SENA countries
Under the captaincy of MS Dhoni, India conceded 600+ totals in SENA countries a whopping four times, three of them coming in the space of 20 months. Three of them were 650+ totals (all declared), with England racking up 710/7 in Birmingham in 2011.
It will be very hard for a captain to do worse than this.
For context, under Kohli, Rohit, Ganguly and Kumble combined, India conceded 600+ totals in SENA countries just once, as compared to the 4 they conceded under Dhoni.
198-run stand for 10th wicket partnership
In the Nottingham Test in 2014 against England, Dhoni’s India conceded 198 runs for the 10th wicket stand. That’s right, this is not a drill.
England, in their first innings, were 298/9 when James Anderson joined Joe Root out in the middle. England were trailing India by 159 at this point. As it turned out, Root and Anderson added 198 from here, with Anderson scoring a career-best 81. That’s right, Anderson, who has a career batting average of 8.96, scored 81, his only 50+ score in Tests.
To date, it’s the highest 10th wicket stand in Test history, and it’s 35 more than the second-highest 10th wicket partnership.