Dhoni may quit

LONDON. – India cricket captain Mahendra Dhoni hinted he may stand down as skipper following his side’s 3-1 Test series defeat in England on Sunday. The innings-and-244-run loss in the fifth Test at The Oval extended India’s run of away form to only one win in 19 Tests. Asked if he had taken the team as far as he can, Dhoni said: “Maybe, yes.

“You’ll have to wait and watch. If I’m strong enough or not strong enough, you’ll have to wait and get the news.”
The 33-year-old wicket-keeper took charge of the Test side in 2008 after leading India to the inaugural World Twenty20 title in 2007.
He has led India in a record 58 Tests and overseen a record 27 wins.

India lost only one of Dhoni’s first 13 series in charge, winning eight – a run that saw them top the world Test rankings from late 2009 until the summer of 2011, a period in which Dhoni also led his team to victory in the World Cup.

However, India surrendered their number one ranking with a 4-0 whitewash in England, a result that began their poor run away from home.
This latest defeat came in a dramatic slide from a 95-run win in the second Test at Lord’s, which gave the tourists a 1-0 series lead. But, following a 266-run loss in the third Test at Southampton, India were twice beaten by an innings, failing to reach 200 in five consecutive attempts that culminated in being bowled out for 94 inside 30 overs on the third afternoon at The Oval.

“The last three Tests, we were not up to the mark,” said Dhoni, who has scored 4 808 runs in 88 Tests.
“We never competed. Today’s batting was a reflection of a loss of confidence. It’s disappointing.

“Right from the start, our batsmen haven’t performed – it was the lower order. Later on in the series, when the lower order didn’t perform, we saw there wasn’t enough runs on the board.”

Meanwhile, India have been fined for a slow over-rate during the fifth-Test defeat by England at The Oval.
Captain Dhoni has been fined 60 percent of his match fee, while the rest of the team have been fined 30 percent.

Dhoni faces a one-match ban if found guilty of another over-rate offence in Test cricket during the next 12 months.
India, who did not contest the ruling by the International Cricket Council, lost the Test by an innings and 244 runs and the series 3-1. – BBC Sport.