CHENNAI: When Shikhar Dhawan and Rohit Sharma opened the batting for India in the 2013 Champions Trophy in England, they laid the foundation of the beginning of a special partnership. Dhawan was the aggressor to set the tone as Rohit played the long innings, scoring big hundreds, including three double tons.
Since then, they have scored more runs than any other pair in the 50-over format 5127 in 115 innings, including 18 100-run stands. It is this partnership, along with Virat Kohli at No 3, that was the lifeline of India's success in the format for the better part of a decade.
However, it is not the 2010s anymore. And Dhawan, while seem fitter than many of his teammates on the field, is 36. Rohit is 35 and Kohli is 34. With Rohit being the captain and Kohli back in form, the focus has turned to Dhawan as India look to form a strong team for the home World Cup next year.
Make no mistake, since the pandemic broke, Dhawan has led commendably with several youngsters in the second-string side. However, it seems like his reflexes are slowing down and it's being reflected in his performance. Since the start of 2022, Dhawan has accumulated 670 runs at an average of 39.41. But the worrying sign is the strike rate of 75.11. What's worse is that it drops down to 67.98 in the powerplay.
While the numbers cast concern over his ability to be the aggressor he once used to be, the other important thing is the way he has struggled against high-end pace. On several occasions, he seemed slow to react to Adam Milne and Lockie Ferguson during the recently concluded New Zealand tour.
That said, not all is over yet for the southpaw. He will be batting with his partner-in-crime Rohit in Bangladesh and how the series goes will be crucial for both him and the team. With the likes of Ruturaj Gaikwad, in domestic, and Shubman Gill, in international, making their case for the one plausible spot at the top of the order, Dhawan will have to come good in the three-match series against Bangladesh that begins on Sunday.
Former India cricketer and selector Saba Karim feels so as well. "It'll be a very crucial series for Shikhar Dhawan," said Karim in a select media interaction facilitated by Sony Sports Network. "I hope that without the extra responsibility of captaincy, he will come good. He and Rohit Sharma set a wonderful platform for the other batters to come in. One should also not forget that in ICC tournaments, Dhawan has been a great performer for India. That is one reason I believe the team management still backs him to come good. With Rohit alongside him, I hope he does well. This right and left combination has worked well for India," he added.
There is also the conundrum of whether or not to fit in vice-captain KL Rahul in the already crowded middle-order and if they are not able to, then he too would be putting pressure on the veteran left-hander. With less than a year to go for the ODI World Cup, every match from here counts for not just the team but also every player who would be fighting for a spot in the XI. And Dhawan would be wary of that come Sunday.
India tour of Bangladesh, Live on Sony Sports Network