Stats: MS Dhoni’s Test career in numbers

Tags: India, Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Test Cricket, retirement

Published on: Dec 31, 2014

Indian captain MS Dhoni has announced his much-awaited retirement from Test cricket in the wake of his horrendous run as leader and batsman over the last three-and-a-half years.

Indian captain MS Dhoni has announced his much-awaited retirement from Test cricket in the wake of his horrendous run as leader and batsman over the last three-and-a-half years. We take a closer look at MS Dhoni’s Test career in numbers.


During his Test career, which lasted close to a decade, Dhoni played 90 Tests, in which he scored 4876 runs with six hundreds and 33 fifties at an average of 38.


Of the 90 Tests, Dhoni has led the team in as many as 60 matches, the most by a wicket-keeper batsman in world history. It is also the most that any Indian player has captained his country in the five-day game.


Of the 60 Tests that India played under Dhoni, they were victorious in as many as 27 games. This is the highest ever by an Indian. Sourav Ganguly with 21 Test wins held the previous Indian record. Among international captains, he is seventh on the list.


While Dhoni’s numbers are impressive, the disparity between his home and away wins are glaring. While the former Indian captain registered 21 Test wins at home, he managed only six away.


Dhoni’s 21 Test wins however put him in a legendary club. He is fourth on the list of captains with most Test wins achieved at home, after Graeme Smith, Ricky Ponting and Steve Waugh.


Since the 2011 England tour, India have failed to win a single away tour under Dhoni. They lost 4-0 to England and Australia in 2011-12, 1-0 to South Africa and New Zealand in 2013-14, 3-1 to England in 2014 and now 2-0 to Australia in the ongoing series. Overall, India lost 15 Tests under Dhoni while playing overseas.


Under Dhoni, India’s home record also got worse. They were beaten at home by England in 2012, by a margin of 1-2. This was India’s first Test series defeat at home against the opponents since 1986.

There was a huge gulf in Dhoni’s average while playing in the sub-continent and away. In Asia, he averaged 47 with six hundreds and eighteen fifties. However, playing away, his average dipped to 29, with 15 half-centuries and not a single ton.


Dhoni’s highest Test score was 224 against Australia at Chennai in early 2013. This was the first time an Indian wicket-keeper had scored a double hundred in Tests. Before him, Budhi Kunderan had made 192 and Nayan Mongia 152.


Dhoni’s highest Test score overseas was a disappointing 92, which he smashed at The Oval in 2007.


Dhoni hit 78 sixes in Tests. Among Indians, only Virender Sehwag has hit more -- 90


During his Test career, Dhoni affected a total of 294 dismissals. This is the highest by an Indian wicket-keeper, and fifth highest overall.


The former India captain also has 38 stumpings to his name, the joint highest for an Indian, with Syed Kirmani, and third overall.


In his last Test at Melbourne, Dhoni affected nine dismissals – eight catches and a stumping, which is now an Indian record.


--By A Cricket Analyst

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