IND vs AUS 2017: MS Dhoni leapfrogs Mohammad Azharuddin to become fifth highest run-getter across all formats for India

New Delhi: India wicketkeeper-batsman Mahendra Singh Dhoni, on Sunday, surpassed former India skipper Mohammad Azharuddin to become the fifth highest run-getter combining all three formats of the game. He achieved the feat during the first One-Day International match against Australia, at M Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai.

Heading into the game, Dhoni was 22 runs short of Azharuddin's tally of 15593 runs which the legend had amassed combining his Test and ODI run tally. With Indian innings travelling downhill in the first ODI matcah against Australia, Dhoni was called forth early into the game. His patient knock of 88-ball 79 helped the home team post a total of 281 runs at the loss of seven wickets. En route, the Ranch-based cricketer surapssed Azharuddin and became the fifth highest run-getter across all formats for India. Leading the chart is Sachin Tendulkar with a collosal 34357 runs. He is followed by Rahul Dravid (24208 runs), then Sourav Ganguly (18575 runs) and finally Virender Sehwag (17253 runs). Overall, he stands 26th on the list.

Earlier, during India's Tour of Sri Lanka, Dhoni had overhauled Azharuddin's 9378 runs in terms of ODI cricket. His 87-ball knock of 67 runs in the third ODI match against the Islanders at Pallekele made him the fourth highest run-scorer among Indian batsman in the 50-over format.

The 36-year-old now has 4876 runs in 144 Test innings, 9737 ODI runs in 206 innings and 1212 T20I runs in 68 innings – all adding upto 15746 runs.

His stability at the crease, building a patient knock to notch up his 66th ODI fifty and then a ravishing 118-run stand alongside Hardik Pandya helped the home team recover from a stuttering 87 for five in the 22nd over to set a target of 282 runs.