CHANDIGARH, INDIA SPORTS NEWS HEADLINES: - Sachin Tendulkar on Tuesday dropped a bombshell by turning down the offer to become the captain of India's Test cricket team, leaving the young Mahendra Singh Dhoni as the front-runner for the top job in the longer version of the game as well. Just two days before Tendulkar's appointment was to be formally announced here, the 34-year-old batsman informed the Board President Sharad Pawar and the selectors that he would not like to take up the captaincy.
Tendulkar, who has had three stints as India's captain in the past, had initially agreed to take over the mantle after Rahul Dravid stepped down but had a change of mind and declined the job, citing personal reason. A highly-placed BCCI personnel said Tendulkar had given his views to the BCCI president and selectors. He said that "I cannot say what prompted him to take such a decision but it is for some personal reason. All I can says is that he does not want to be the Test captain at this stage," the source said.
The selectors will meet here on Thursday to announce the team for the remaining three one-dayers against Pakistan and also the new Test captain. Tendulkar's reluctance has virtually paved the way for Dhoni to take over the reins of the Test team as well although many former Indian cricketers were not in favour of putting addition on the youngster.
India has been without a Test captain for nearly seven weeks now ever since Dravid abruptly quit the post after the team's successful tour of England, saying that he wanted to concentrate on batting. With Tendulkar now out of the equation the 26-year-old Dhoni, who has been impressive in the Twenty20 and ODIs, could be given the job on the short term basis.
