MS Dhoni to stay back in Australia

He has retired from Test cricket and handed over the reins to Virat Kohli but MS Dhoni has stayed back with the Indian Test team as a back-up wicketkeeper for the last Test match against Australia scheduled to be played in Sydney from January 6. According to sources in Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), this decision was taken by the board as there wasn't any time to send a replacement after Dhoni retired abruptly.Sources said Dhoni will not return home just because he is not playing the last Test. "Soon after the Test series gets over, India will be ready for the tri-series and it doesn't make sense for him to come back," a BCCI source told on Thursday.It was also revealed that Dhoni will take part in the selection meeting to pick the 15-member World Cup squad - which could take place on the day the Sydney Test match starts - through video conferencing. "The Indian captain needs to attend the selection meeting for the Cup squad. The captain will have a big say in selecting the players he will lead in the World Cup," the source added.With India not playing any major Test series this year other than South Africa coming home in October-November, it would be interesting to see who walks into Virat Kohli's shoes as the vice-captain in Sydney Test. Two players - Ravichandran Ashwin and Ajinkya Rahane - are reportedly in the fray to become the Kohli's deputy.Being one of the senior members of the team, Ashwin could have the edge, but he wasn't a regular member of the playing XI in the England series last year. He was even out of favour in the opening Test match in Adelaide. In comparison, Rahane has been regular in the playing XI and has earned reputation by scoring all his centuries outside Asia.Another player who could also be in the running is Murali Vijay - another senior Test player (he has played 30 Tests) who has been scoring consistently at the top of the order. Among the Test batsmen in the Indian camp, the Tamil Nadu opener has the maximum Test appearances after Kohli.