Viswanathan Anand, who recently retained the World Chess Championship after beating Russia's Vladimir Kramnik, was felicitated by Mahendra Singh Dhoni for his achievement in Chennai. "Every sport needs an icon, and I cannot think of a better person than Anand in Chess," Dhoni said. "If youngsters have a role model like him, there is no reason for them not to succeed."

Dhoni lauded Anand's feat as a great occasion for India and said he was "honoured to share the dais" with him. However, Dhoni claimed he was no pushover in chess either. "I'll beat him (Anand) at chess if he plays left-handed," he quipped.

Anand wished the Indian team success in the Chennai Test. "Good luck for the next four days, though I hope it gets over in three."