Shikhar Dhawan may never play Test cricket for India again, says former Indian cricketer
Shikhar Dhawan may never play Test cricket for India again, says former Indian cricketer
Indian cricketer Shikhar Dhawan has been one of the finest opener for the men in blue for the past many years. It is not like India haven’t experimented with different batsmen for the opening slot.
From KL Rahul to Mayank Agarwal to Rohit Sharma to Hanuma Vihari, the Indian side has put to test many players at the top across all formats. But only a few have been as consistent as the left hander.
The 34-year-old has featured in 34 Tests in which he as knocked seven hundreds and score a total of 2,315 runs at an average of 40.61. However after a series of dismal performances in 2018, The left-handed opener has been left out of the Test side. Dhawan last featured in a Test match against England in September 2018 at the Oval.
So, the point is will Shikhar Dhawan, who is now 34 years of age, get a chance to play Test cricket for the national side again? Former India cricketer turned commentator Akash Chopra has his say on the matter.
“Never say never, he might get a chance. But will he get a chance quickly? I don’t think it can happen right now because there are already several options as openers for Test cricket,” Chopra said on his Youtube page.
“Rohit Sharma, Mayank Agarwal, Prithvi Shaw and KL Rahul. There are already four options ahead of Dhawan who is in the 5th position. It means that the position of strength which Dhawan had is not there anymore, and that privilege is not there anymore. So Shikhar Dhawan may happen sometime in the future, but not in the near future because the team has started looking ahead,” Chopra added.
Furthermore, the former Indian cricketer stated that, “I think it has not been spoken but they have taken call on his Test career that he is a superb white-ball player, so he should focus on ODIs and T20Is. But in Test cricket, we are investing in other people. Be it Rohit Sharma, or KL Rahul - who should definitely be getting a chance to open in Test cricket very soon. There is Mayank Agarwal who has done well, and of course, Prithvi Shaw. So, I don’t think Shikhar Dhawan is going to get a chance in near future.”
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