Calls for Dhoni's sacking grow louder

Apart from Gavaskar, several former cricketers including former chairman of selectors Kris Srikkanth, Atul Wassan and Abbas Ali Baig wanted a change in Test captaincy with Virat Kohli's name being suggested as a possible replacement.

Gavaskar said it was time the selectors looked to the future as Dhoni seemed out of sorts in this series.

"Till the fourth day of this Test I said there is no alternative to Mahendra Singh Dhoni, but now that Virat (Kohli) has come up with a 100 under trying circumstances I think he has discovered a good part about himself. I think he is ready to take on the mantle," the former India skipper said.

"I think this is something to be looked at in a positive manner because that's where the future is," Gavaskar said.

Srikkanth was of the view that Dhoni will be better of without the captaincy burden from now on.

"Dhoni's become stale and doesn't know what to do when things go out of the way. He shouldn't be the Test captain anymore. Had I been the chairman of selectors, I would have picked Dhoni as a wicket-keeper batsman but it is time to look beyond him as a Test captain," Srikkanth said.

"I will pick Dhoni as a keeper/batsman because his contribution has to be considered. I think he will be better off without captaincy and add more value to the Test team," Srikkanth said.

Former cricketer Abbas Ali Baig also called for a change of leadership and said Kohli should be given the mantle. "We have to look ahead to the future and plan accordingly". More