New Delhi, Nov 6
ANI

Sachin Tendulkar on Tuesday rejected the offer to captain the Test team, apparently due to "personal" reasons, media reports said.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni, the ODI and Twenty20 captain, has now emerged as the frontrunner to lead the Indian Test cricket team also.

Tendulkar has reportedly informed the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) President, Sharad Pawar, and the national selectors about his decision. The master batsman had initially reported to have agreed to take over the responsibility after Rahul Dravid abruptly quit the post about two months ago.

The post of captain of the Indian Test cricket team has been vacant since then. Tendulkar had been Dravid's deputy during the Test series in Bangladesh and England. Sachin's first innings as captain was from August 1996 to December 1997 and, next, from August 1999 to March 2000.

Tendulkar's refusal comes just two days before his appointment was to be formally announced by the selectors, who are scheduled to meet in Mohali.

The selectors are to meet in Mohali on Thursday, during the second Indo-Pak ODI, to decide on the Test captain and announce team for the remaining three one-dayers against Pakistan.

Dhoni has now surfaced as the selectors' favourite for Test captaincy with a very successful start to his career as ODI and Twenty20 skipper.

He led India to victory in the inaugural World Twenty20 tournament in South Africa and also led the team in the win over Pakistan in the first one-dayer of their five-match series in Guwahati on Monday. (ANI)

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