Lost successive tosses and won most Tests – Captain Cool for you

Winning the toss is crucial in cricket as it allows the captain to choose whether to bat or bowl first based on their team’s requirements. It’s often said that losing the toss puts a team at a disadvantage. Former India player Mahendra Singh Dhoni proved otherwise by winning successive Test matches despite losing the toss.

Dhoni, India’s legendary skipper, began this remarkable streak in 2013 against Australia in Chennai. In that series, Australia suffered an embarrassing defeat. In the first Test at MA Chidambaram Stadium, Australia’s captain Michael Clarke won the toss and chose to bat. However, Dhoni’s outstanding performance, scoring 224 runs in India’s first innings, led India to victory by eight wickets.

In the second Test in Hyderabad, Australia won the toss and batted first, but India’s Cheteshwar Pujara’s brilliant 204-run innings helped India win by an innings and 135 runs, taking a 2-0 series lead.

The trend continued in the third Test in Mohali, where Australia won the toss. India’s debutant Shikhar Dhawan’s exceptional 187-run knock earned him the Player of the Match award. India won by six wickets, securing a series victory of 3-0.

In Delhi, Dhoni’s bad luck with the toss persisted as he lost it, and Australia batted first. However, India’s Ravindra Jadeja’s superb performance, taking seven wickets, led India to another six-wicket win, resulting in a whitewash of the Aussies.

Later that year, West Indies visited India, and again Dhoni lost the toss in the opening match in Kolkata. However, India’s debutant Rohit Sharma’s impressive 177-run innings helped India secure a comfortable victory by an innings and 51 runs, taking a 1-0 lead in the series. With this win, Dhoni completed his streak of winning matches even after losing the toss.