It is still unclear whether Dhoni will play the first Test

Image courtesy of: ESPNcricinfo

Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) secretary Sanjay Patel has announced that Mahendra Singh Dhoni will join the national team in Adelaide on December 5.

However, Patel added that Dhoni’s participation for the first Test, which will get underway on December 9, is not a certainty since he is still recovering from a thumb injury.

Dhoni was scheduled to miss the first Test, which was supposed to start on December 4 in Brisbane. But, due to the tragic death of Australian batsman Phillip Hughes, it was postponed to December 9 and moved to the Adelaide Oval.

“Dhoni will reach Australia as per schedule,” Patel told ESPNcricinfo. “Whether he will play [the first Test] will entirely depend on the team management, as is the case for every match.”

If Dhoni does not play the first Test, Virat Kohli will take over as captain and Wriddhiman Saha will don the wicketkeeping gloves and replace Dhoni behind the stumps.