MS Dhoni retired from Tests two years ago: How India have fared under Virat Kohli since

On this day in 2014, Mahendra Singh Dhoni dropped a bombshell on the cricket world with his sudden announcement of immediate retirement from Test cricket. The announcement was made after India lost the four-Test series to Australia following a draw in the third Test in Melbourne. Dhoni, however, did not speak about his retirement at the post-match press conference or at the presentation ceremony and the announcement was only made later through a BCCI press release. One of the most successful captains, Dhoni's tenure at the helm of India's captaincy was nothing short of a roller-coaster ride. Two World Cup titles, No.1 Test rankings, most number of wins under his belt but on the flip side, a spate of overseas Test losses against England and Australia would have hastened the decision. Dhoni tasted his first success at the 2007 World T20 where he led India to the title. He also led the team to victory in the 50-over World Cup in 2011. However, he began to come under pressure at Test level after India suffered eight successive away match losses and were then beaten on home soil for the first time in eight years with a 2-1 series defeat to England in late 2012. After that India's continued slide and with another series loss to England in 2014 and the poor run of form in Australia culminated in Dhoni's decision to retire. Overall, Dhoni played 90 Tests scoring 4,876 runs at an average of 38.09, having made his debut at home against Sri Lanka in December 2005. In 60 matches as captain, Dhoni had a decent 27 wins, 18 losses and 15 draws, after taking over as captain from Anil Kumble in 2008. Dhoni's sudden retirement from Test cricket made way for Virat Kohli to don the mantle of captaincy. INDIA ON A ROLL UNDER KOHLI Kohli, who was exposed to Test captaincy under extraordinary circumstances, has enjoyed instant success in the role. Long considered Dhoni's heir apparent, Kohli led the team in the first Test against Australia in Adelaide, scoring back-to-back centuries on his debut as captain and earning plaudits for his aggressive approach despite the cliff-hanging loss by 48 runs. Kohli took the leadership role with pride and scored another hundred in the third Test. Though India lost the four-match series 2-0, Kohli had already announced his arrival as captain. Later in 2015, Kohli captained India against Bangladesh in a one-off Test which ended in a draw. REAL SUCCESS IN SRI LANKA Kohli's real success as Test captain came in Sri Lanka where he led the team to a historic 2-1 victory after 22 years. After losing the first Test at Galle by 63 runs, India bounced back strongly in the second with a 278-run win at the P Sara Oval. In the third Test at Colombo, India mauled the hosts by 117 runs to seal an historic series. India last won a Test series in Sri Lanka (1-0) under Mohammad Azharuddin's captaincy in 1993. The victory gave Kohli his first series win as captain, and India their first overseas series triumph since June 2011 when they defeated the West Indies. NO LOOKING BACK Kohli's next assignment was against South Africa, where he led the team to a 3-0 victory in the four-Test series at home. India started the series on a high with a 108-run victory in Mohali. The rain-marred second match in Bangalore ended in a draw. The hosts then won the third Test by 124 runs in Nagpur inside three days and then went on to crush South Africa by 337 runs in the fourth Test in Delhi. Kohli's India handed South Africa their first away Test series defeat in nine years. CARIBBEAN SAFARI India toured West Indies for a four-match Test series in mid 2016 under Kohli and new chief coach Anil Kumble. The combination weaved magic for India as the visitors romped to a 2-0 victory over the hosts. Kohli, who became the first Indian captain to score a double hundred, ended a streak of six consecutive series defeats outside Asia. India had not won or drawn a series outside the sub-continent since their triumph in West Indies in 2011. They have now won three straight series in the Caribbean after losing seven of their first eight. KIWI PLATTER Next up on Kohli's radar were the Black Caps. New Zealand, under the leadership of young Kane Williamson, came to India for a three-Test series with much expectations. However, Kohli's men thrashed the Kiwis, winning the series 3-0, with the captain scoring his second double hundred. THE GRUDGE SERIES While the victories against Sri Lanka, West Indies and New Zealand were promising but sceptics wondered if India could replicate that display against a strong opponent like England, who had a great record in the subcontinent. However, Kohli and his men buried the ghosts of the past and mauled England 4-0 in the five-Test series. As a captain and as a batsman Kohli was at his best. He scored 655 runs, including a highest score of 235 and became only the third player after Don Bradman and Ricky Ponting to score three double hundreds in a calendar year. Five consecutive Test series victories for India and a firm grip on the number one Test ranking under his leadership have intensified his popularity.