Dhoni backs Test brigade despite loss to Proteas

Throwing his weight behind the beleaguered Test side which lost the ongoing Test series 0-2 to South Africa, former India skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni on Friday said it was important to look at the positives of the team's performance.

Ending their unbeaten streak of nine consecutive series victories, the Virat Kohli-led side succumbed to their first series loss going down to South Africa in the first two Tests of the ongoing three-match rubber.

Dhoni, however, defended the side saying the team had taken 20 opposition wickets in both Tests, giving themselves a chance of a win.

"I won't answer that but I'll say look at the positives. To win a Test match you need 20 wickets. We have taken 20 wickets. That is the biggest positive," Dhoni said at a promotional event here.

"If you can't take 20 wickets, you can never win a Test. Irrespective of whether you are playing at home or outside. We are taking 20 wickets, which means you are always in a position to win the match.

"Once you start scoring runs, you are there (with a chance of winning)," Dhoni added.

The Ranchi stumper, who will join Kohli's men for the ODI and T20I series against the Proteas, was also asked questions about his return to the Chennai Super Kings in the Indian Premier League (IPL).

Conceding that several IPL franchises had approached him ahead of the Player Retention event earlier this month, the 36-year-old said there was no question of him playing for any team other than the yellow brigade.

"A lot of people approached me, I can tell you that. But, you know, I can't think (of) not coming back to CSK," he said.

Dhoni also wished that premier off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin will be part of the CSK, saying that the franchise would try to buy back the tweaker in the IPL auction on January 27 and 28 in Bengaluru.

"As I have said, it is always a tough call. With Ashwin, you know we had done the same thing in the past. We will definitely go for him (Ashwin) in the auction.

"Ashwin definitely being a local lad, we want a lot of local players to be part of CSK," Dhoni said.

"We have two right-to-match options but having already retained three capped Indians, don't think we can use it. We will have to buy him out in the auction. As of now, it is tough to say, whether we will get him," he added.

"Ashwin will come first in the auction for us. But we will have to wait and watch. We will try to get him," he said.

--IANS

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