CHENNAI: If dropping Stuart Binny for Rohit Sharma was the first strategic shift in batting that MS Dhoni made in England, the time looks good for another. Shikhar Dhawan’s inability to survive opens arguments in favour of Gautam Gambhir.
While Murali Vijay has exceeded expectations by showing a sound knowledge of handling stuff on and around off stump, his left-handed partner is looking vulnerable in this crucial area. He has tallied 122 in England without a half-century and the longest the openers have stayed together is 14 overs. Dhawan has got out first on five of these six occasions.
Former India opener Aakash Chopra, who had told TNIE earlier that Gambhir would get a look at some stage, felt the time has come. “Dhawan had a good series in New Zealand and I expected him to come good in England. But there are some technical deficiencies, which have got exposed. So the time has come to look at Gambhir,” he said.
After his 174- ball 187 on debut against Australia when Gambhir was dropped, Dhawan has shone in ODIs, but crossed fifty just twice in 16 Test innings. It’s the manner of his dismissals that is triggering concern. “His technique works very well in ODIs and in the subcontinent. But if you are always playing beside the ball as an opener and not getting the body behind, you will land in trouble,” explained Chopra.
“Dhawan is primarily a frontfooter, which works well in the subcontinent even when you don’t move your back leg. But when you are in England, South Africa or Australia, to counter the lateral movement, the back leg has to move. If it’s not getting deep inside the crease, at least it has to go across. Dhawan hasn’t been able to do that,” said the former player who has seen the 28-year-old from his early days in the Delhi team.
Chopra isn’t the only one to have noticed the pressure this is creating on the core. Former wicketkeeper Deep Dasgupta, who opened in seven of the eight Tests he played, felt the left-hander’s presence is not inspiring confidence. “There are times when you bat well but don’t get runs. Not getting runs is a concern, not an issue. Dhawan isn’t looking comfortable and that’s an issue. This is exposing the middle order to the new ball. If I am there padded up to go next, I will feel uneasy.”
The former Bengal captain too felt he is not getting in the right positions. “He has to sort out his initial movement. He is getting into position a little late. He has to get ready quicker so that he gets enough time to move back and forward. He doesn’t give me confidence that he will get a 70, 80 or a 100 in these conditions,” said Dasgupta, whose brief career included a match-saving 63 in Port Elizabeth.
However, Chopra reckoned Gambhir will face a tough test if he does revive his 54-Test career after almost two years. “He has played in England but his average is 17. He’s had his share of trouble against the moving ball and has this tendency to play with an angular bat. I haven’t seen him of late in the longer format so let’s see how it goes. To say that Gambhir will come and all our problems will be sorted is ambitious.”