Sachin Tendulkar's decision to turn down the offer to become India's Test captain just two days before his appointment was to be announced has left the national selectors in a quandary.
Tendulkar, the senior-most member in the Indian squad, was expected to lead the side against Pakistan and Australia but decided to opt out at the last moment. Sources in the Board of Control for Cricket in India said the Mumbai batsman did not want to be burdened with such a huge responsibility at this stage of his career, and he is also unhappy with the way the selectors have been treating senior players.
The selectors are thus in a dilemma over whether to burden Mahendra Singh Dhoni with the Test leadership so early in his career or name another senior player.
Besides Dhoni, Anil Kumble, Sourav Ganguly and VVS Laxman are the candidates who will be discussed when the selectors meet on Thursday in Mohali to also pick the squad for the last three ODIs against Pakistan.
Dhoni, who has played just 20 Tests, was named skipper of the one-day team last month after leading India to the Twenty20 World Cup triumph on debut.
Former India captain and chief selector Ajit Wadekar feels Dhoni has done a good job so far in the ODIs and could prove to be a good skipper in Tests too.
Former skipper Ravi Shastri though has warned the BCCI against burdening the dashing Jharkhand batsman with Test captaincy, while Madan Lal and Sanjay Manjrekar believe the job should go to veteran Kumble.
What do you feel? Should Dhoni be made Test captain keeping the future in mind, or Kumble handed the reins? Or should India fall back on Ganguly's experience as leader?
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