'Dhoni's left Indian cricket in a better place than it was when he took over'

Left surprised by Mahendra Singh Dhoni's retirement from Test cricket, Australian vice-captain Brad Haddin termed the former India captain a "true gentleman" of the game.

"The great thing about MS Dhoni was his temperament. No matter where the game was going you wouldn't know. He had a pretty even tempo through whatever situation was going on and that's why he's had such longevity in the game," Haddin said on Thursday.

"I was very surprised (he retired). He's been a great servant for Indian cricket, the way he handles himself and the team, the calmness he brings to a very, very big job in captaining the Indian cricket team. He was great to play against and a true gentleman of the game. I think he's left Indian cricket in a better place than it was when he took over."

Dhoni's sudden retirement has led to Virat Kohli's elevation to captaincy for the fourth and final Test here from January 6. Kohli has created quite a stir in the series by aggressively taking on the Aussies in verbal duels both on and off the field.

Asked if the hosts are planning anything specific to tackle Kohli, Haddin said, "I'm not here to talk about Kohli."

Image: Mahendra Singh Dhoni celebrates the wicket of David Warner with teammates

Photograph: Darrian Traynor/Getty Images