Cricket

Dhoni ready for test captaincy: Kirsten

Gary Kirsten, the India coach, has said that Mahendra Singh Dhoni is “ready” to captain India in all forms of the game but added that there was no immediate need for change because Anil Kumble was doing “an exceptional job” leading the Test side.

“Dhoni is ready for test captaincy but there is no need to rush as of now,” Kirsten said. “Anil has done an exceptional job, he is a great leader. He is prepared to do 30 overs in a day but he is on the other side of the physical side of the game.”

“MSD is a great thinker. He has got fantastic skills in terms of understanding the situation. He is the best ODI batsman in the world. I think he has worked his heart out, how to win games batting in the middle period. He plays every situation really well and is a very good keeper as well.”

Kumble has led the Test team since Rahul Dravid resigned after India’s tour of England in 2007 while Dhoni has been in charge of the ODI and Twenty20 sides.

“Their characters, their strategies are different,” Kirsten said. “Their thinking is different but they both are exceptional cricketers and they have proved their worth in different formats of the game. It’s always good to have captains that are performing well. It makes a big difference to the morale of the team, to the energy and intensity of the game.”

Tags: anil kumble, Gary Kirsten, India, MS Dhoni, test captain