Not thinking about Test captaincy yet: Dhoni
© Cricket Nirvana
Monday, September 22, 2008 3:17:07 AM
Vadodara: India one-day skipper MS Dhoni has said he was happy playing under Anil Kumble's leadership in the longer version of the game, and he had still not thought about Test captaincy just yet.
In recent times, there has been a lot of debate if Dhoni, who is now the captain of the Indian limited overs team, is ready to take over the Test captaincy as well. Former cricketers like Kapil Dev, and even current coach Gary Kirsten have opined that the Jharkhand lad is ready to take over the mantle from the veteran Anil Kumble. However, Dhoni himself has said he is ready playing under Anil Kumble and he had not thought about Test captaincy yet.
In an interview to Times of India, Dhoni said, "If you ask me, I’m too happy and privileged to be playing under someone as great and as modest as Kumble."
"He’s a thorough gentleman. A legend. And a bowler of great skill and tremendous fighting qualities. He commands the respect of his team.
"Kumble is someone who is fiercely determined, one who never gives up. Even if the opponents need 10 runs to get on the final day, we know Kumble will come back and fight till the last run. These qualities are rare."
"I’ve never given too much thought to these things. There’s no point. I’m just too happy to be playing the game, playing for the country and enjoying every moment.
"The way I look at it is, I never thought I would play for India but I did. I never dreamt of leading the country but I did. So I don’t let such things creep into my mind, more so because it’s none of my business. The important thing is to understand that we have a tough series coming up against the best side in the world, so we need to focus our energies on that. Period," he added.
The 27-year old stumper also said he was hoping Sachin Tendulkar, who opted out of the Irani Cup match, to give his sore elbow some more time to recover, would be fit for the big series against Australia. He said, "Sachin continues to be a key player in the middle order and he showed us why his presence is so very important in the last series in Australia.".
"Once he returns, it will only be a matter of time before he gets those 70-75 runs to become the highest run-getter in Test history. That is something the whole country is looking forward to. I’m sure it will be a great moment for him just as it will be for the entire team and the country."
