Going by the records, inarguably, the most successful Indian Test captain is Mahendra Singh Dhoni and he has been instrumental in all the successful endeavours of the national cricket team. It was under his leadership when India became No.1 in Test cricket and stood tall among other nations. He left the whole nation in shock when he announced his retirement from Test cricket after the match against Australia in Melbourne. His records as a captain though are sensational and are mind blowing.
With Dhoni retiring from Tests, the next big thing team India now has is Virat Kohli with 10 Test match wins under his belt. The adulation and fame that Kohli has got within a very short span are testimony to his hard work.
List of most successful Indian Test captains:
Mahendra Singh Dhoni: Mahendra Singh Dhoni has become the most successful Indian Test captain over the years. Dhoni captained India in 45 matches, won 22, lost 12 and drawn 11, with a winning percentage of 48.88. The main thing that strikes us when the name MS Dhoni comes up is his attitude. As the famous saying goes “Two things define you. Your patience when you have nothing, and your attitude when you have everything.”
Now MS Dhoni has won all there is to conquer in the World Cricket. He has achieved something that captains of various dominant cricketing countries will envy for their lives. The T20 World Cup 07, 50-over World Cup 2011 and the Champions Trophy two years later.
Even with this humongous success, he is the most humble and down to earth personality one can ever come across. His way of dealing with failure and criticism when the team is under performing is admirable and his ability to maintain composure during the game is something great.
Sourav Ganguly: Sourav Ganguly ranks as the second most successful Indian Test captain. He led India in 49 matches, won 21, lost 13 and drawn 15, with a winning percentage of 42.85. Dada's qualities make one admire him every second. He had the eye for grooming new talent. Dada was very passionate about the game and his role as a mentor and was known for his risk taking abilities.
Mohammad Azharuddin: Mohammad Azharuddin is the third in the most successful skippers' list. He captained India in 47 matches, won 14, lost 14 and drew 19, for a winning percentage of 29.78.
Azhar's qualities with the bat made him special and everyone was in awe of Azharuddin in his early days as a captain. He is a one who was respected highly by all captains those days.
Virat Kohli: Virat Kohli's performance as captain of the Indian Test team is constantly improving with each passing match. India's 321-run victory over New Zealand in the third and final Test at Indore on October 11, 2016 handed Kohli his first series sweep as captain and also helped him surpass the records of a couple of legendary captains in the process.
Kohli, with 10 Test wins, has now gone past Tiger Pataudi and Sunil Gavaskar's tally of victories as India captain. Only MS Dhoni, Sourav Ganguly and Mohammad Azharuddin have won more Tests than Virat for India. He now has the highest win percentage as a Test captain of India with a win percentage of 58.82. His qualities though are something unique and are those which make him stand tall and some are handling pressure, aggression (liveliness), and also his willingness to take on responsibility which is the most important quality of a leader.
Sunil Gavaskar and Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi: Sunil Gavaskar and Mansur Ali Khan Pataudi jointly rank fourth in the list of most successful skippers' list. Gavaskar captained India in 47 matches, won 9, lost 8 and drew 30, with a winning percentage of 19.14. Pataudi led India in 40 matches, won 9, lost 19 and drawn 12, with a winning percentage of 22.50.
The courage and sincerity were two main qualities of both the above captains. Pataudi's Feline grace is something one cannot see in others. The way he used to keep himself fit without any work out in gym those days is something great.
Rahul Dravid: Rahul Dravid ranks fifth most successful Indian Test captain. He led India in 25 matches, won 8, lost 6 and drew 11, with a winning percentage of 32. His qualities though are known to the entire world and he is one person whom the entire cricketing community calls “The Gentleman” and he deserves every appreciation.
