Dhoni's time is NOT now

Indian cricket administrators are known to have a great degree of tolerance and hesitancy to rock a ship.u00a0Therefore, reports surrounding the possibility of Mahendra Singh Dhoni losing the Test captaincy must be viewed with a chunk of suspicion. That the India captain leads the Indian Premier League team (Chennai Super Kings) owned by N Srinivasan, the Board of Control of Cricket in India president is another matter.

Though Dhoni has lost seven overseas Tests in a row (it could well have been eight if not for this slow over-rate-caused suspension), the mandarins of the BCCI wouldn't possibly replace him as Test skipper in a scenario where India play Test cricket only later in the year. Sure, if Dhoni fares disastrously as captain in next month's tri-series in Australia, the selectors/Board would have a strong reason to sack him. But now? Highly unlikely!

In many ways, Dhoni is a lucky man. Talk of his sacking comes at a time when the selectors have not groomed anyone for the Test job. The sooner they do that, the better. But for this to happen, they must give youth a chance. His wicketkeeping has not been tidy and he's not getting the scores, which a captain coming down the order should be getting. Fortunately, India's next Test assignment is on home soil where the ball comes on to a bat at a comfortable height and the pitches generally don't favour the fast bowlers.

Until then, Dhoni and his team must be backed for the forthcoming one-day series. With the one-day outfit having younger legs than the Test one, India are expected to give a better account of themselves, but they cannot reckon without Australia's all-round strength and verve.

India's Test team has copped ridicule from all quarters. The one-dayers lays out a carpet for redemption. The need to make amends has never been so paramount in recent times.

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