MS Dhoni‘s Team India have consistenly lived up to the tag of ‘flat track bullies’ as a below-par performance in the Auckland test doomed captain Dhoni to his 11th defeat in away test matches, climbing ahead of the likes of Sourav Ganguly, Mohammad Azharuddin and MAK Pataudi who have each lost 10 games on foreign soil.
The major concern is that India’s run of defeats in Test matches abroad streches back to June 2011 when India beat West Indies on their backyard. Since then, India have lost 10 out of 13 away test matches including consecutive 4-0 whitewashes at the hands of Australia and England.
And defeats to South Africa in Durban a couple of months back and the defeat in Auckland to a rather average New Zealand outfit confirms India’s struggles in the flat pitches outside the subcontinent.
Even after staging a dramatic comeback with a stunning bowling display in the 2nd innings, the middle order let themselves down with the bat and Shikhar Dhawan and Virat Kohli‘s good work at the top of the order was undone as India lost by 40 runs.
MS Dhoni is the only captain to have led India to all the major ICC honours, but the tag of being India’s most unsuccessful away skipper is a dampener on a quite incredible captaincy record.
Sourav Ganguly’s Team India also lost ten matches away from home, but had managed to deliver consistent away performaces during his tenure, including a drawn Border-Gavaskar series in 2003-04.
Bishan Singh Bedi-led teams lost eight Tests while Sunil Gavaskar and Sachin Tendulkar had to taste defeat six times each on foreign soil.
Let’s hope that Mahi can make some amends and turn India’s fortunes around in the 2nd Test.
Indian captains with most away Test defeats:
MS Dhoni: 11
MAK Pataudi, Mohammad Azharuddin and Sourav Ganguly: 10 each
Bishan S Bedi: 8
Sunil Gavaskar and Sachin Tendulkar: 6 each
