MS Dhoni’s last Test match ended on this day in 2014. The Indian cricket team was on a tour of Australia. It was the Boxing Day Test match at the Melbourne Cricket Ground, where the Australian cricket team and the Indian cricket team played out a draw.
India and Australia had a memorable series in that year. However, the series also featured some sad moments, one of which was MS Dhoni’s retirement. Much to the shock of everyone in the cricketing fraternity, Dhoni announced the end of his Test career after the Melbourne Test match which ended on December 30, 2014.
Eight years have passed since that day. In this article now, we will look at India’s playing XI from that match and where are the players now.
India’s openers in MS Dhoni’s last Test – Murali Vijay and Shikhar Dhawan
Experienced openers Murali Vijay and Shikhar Dhawan opened the batting for India in that Test. Vijay scored a fifty in the first innings, while Dhawan lost his wicket cheaply in both innings. Vijay and Dhawan have not retired but they have lost their places in the Indian team.
Middle Order – KL Rahul, Virat Kohli, Ajinkya Rahane, Cheteshwar Pujara and MS Dhoni
India played with seven specialist batters in MS Dhoni’s last Test. KL Rahul had just made his debut, while Virat Kohli and Ajinkya Rahane were in phenomenal form. Cheteshwar Pujara performed decently as well. MS Dhoni scored 11 & 24* in his last Test.
Rahul, Kohli and Pujara actively play Test cricket for India, while Rahane was dropped from the squad earlier this year. Dhoni has retired from all forms of cricket, but he still plays in IPL.
Bowlers – Ravichandran Ashwin, Mohammed Shami, Ishant Sharma and Umesh Yadav
India played with four specialist bowlers in that match. Ravichandran Ashwin was the sole spinner, while Shami, Ishant and Umesh Yadav formed the pace attack. All four players are active in the Test arena as of 2022.
