Can Dhoni be the 4th Best Captain of Ind-Eng Series!!

India is undefeated against England since 1996 series. In between they have played 5-series under 3-captains. Ganguly and Dravid have remained undefeated in two series each. Dhoni is the 14th captain in India-England bilateral series to lead the team in more than one series. Can he surpass the undefeated feat of Ganguly and Dravid or better it by becoming the 4th Captain in India-England history to win 2 series!!

List of Captains and Previous Results of India-England Series
India vs England 2011 Schedule
India vs England 2011 Squad List

Three Best Captains
India and England history lists only three captains who have won two series. While Jardine and Brearly represented England, Ajit Wadekar represented India in achieving the feat.

Jardine won 3 out of 4 tests in 2 series of 1932 and 1933/34.
Ajit Wadekar won 3-test series 1-0, becoming the captain of first-ever series win over England. He also won the next 5-test series 2-1. But faced whitewash in the 3rd series of 3 tests. Overall he won 3 and lost 4 in 11 tests he captained India in 3 series.
Brearly won two series. First series of 4-Test he won 1-0 and 1-test series on Golden Jubilee Test also he won for England.

Captain Facts

Peter May is the only captain to have earned whitewash against India in 5 test series. D Gaekwad got the dubious distinction of being the captain in that series of 1959 in England.
D Close (Eng) against Nawab of Pataudi Jr., Mike Denness against Ajit Wadekar have been other English captains to record whitewash in 3-test series.
Azharuddin is the only captain to have recorded whitewash (3-0 in 3-Test Series) against Gooch’s England.
Vijay Hazare earned India first test victory over England. It was also India’s first series draw earned against England.
Ajit Wadekar earned India first series victory over England, in England.

Before the 2011 series, only 13 players have captained their teams in more than one Test series between India and England. Only three captains have been at helm for three series. Here is a list of such captains in India-England history:

Captains: For three series

Ajit Wadekar (1971, 1972/73, 1974) – won 2, lost 1
Gavaskar (1981/82, 1982 and 1984/85) – won 1, lost 2
Azharuddin (1990, 1992/93, 1996) – won 1, lost 2

Captains: For two series

Dravid (2005/06 and 2007)
Ganguly and Nasser Hussain (2001/02 and 2002)
Graham Gooch (1990, 1992/93)
David Gower (1984/85 and 1986)
Brearley (1979 and 1979/80)
Nawab of Pataudi Jr. (1963/64 and 1967)
Vijay Hazare (1951/52, 1952)
Jardine and CK Nayudu (1932 and 1933/34)

Both Captains same for two series

Jardine and CK Nayudu (1932 and 1933/34)
Azharuddin and Graham Gooch (1990, 1992/93)
Ganguly and Nasser Hussain (2001/02 and 2002)

Captains Scorecard

Jardine won 3 out of 4 tests in 2 series against Nayudu’s India in the first-ever two series played by India against England.
Vijay Hazare won the first-ever test for India against England and drew the first series of 5 tests 1-1 but lost second series of 4 tests 3-0.
Nawab of Pataudi Jr. drew the first series of 5 tests 0-0, but faced a whitewash in the 1967 3-test series.
Gavaskar won first series 1-0 in 6 tests, lost next 3-test series by 1-0 and third series of 5 tests by 2-1 margin.
David Gower won first series of 5 tests by 2-1, but lost next series of 3 tests by 2-0 margin.
Graham Gooch won first series of 3-tests by 1-0 but faced whitewash in next series of 3-tests.
Azharuddin lost first series of 3-tests by 1-0 but got first whitewash for India in next series of 3-tests. In his last series he lost 3-test series by 1-0.
Nasser Hussain and Ganguly faced each other as captins in two consecutive series. First series of 3-tests saw Ganguly winning by 1-0 and next series of 4 tests ended in 1-1 draw.
Dravid drew the first series of 3-Tests 1-1, but won other series of 3 Tests by 1-0.

Dhoni has already won the first series held in India against England. The England series of 2011 will decide if Dhoni will be in the history book for being an undefeated captains like Ganguly and Dravid (who won one series and drew other) or will he be the second Indian captain after Wadekar to win two series and join the league of other two great captains of England-India series Jardine and Brearly who won both their series.