5 reasons why Abhinav Mukund's career might end after the Sri Lanka tour
Abhinav Mukund's omission from the Indian team for the second Test against Sri Lanka is reflective of his fate. He scored a fluent 81 in the second innings of the first Test but even that knock was not enough to secure his place in the team.
The sensational comeback of Dhawan and failure of Mukund to cash in on the chances offered to him has made the Tamil Nadu batsman's future gloomy and he may be axed from the squad when the selectors pick India's Test team for the next series.
The left-handed batsman has tremendous potential and his exploits in the domestic season are indicative of his batting prowess. However, his Test future looks doomed. Here we take a look at the five reasons which reveal why his career looks done and dusted.
#5 - Shikhar Dhawan back in form
Before the start of the Test series against Sri Lanka, Abhinav Mukund was India's first choice replacement for the openers. But viral fever ruled out KL Rahul from the first Test and Shikhar Dhawan was roped in to replace Rahul.
Dhawan at that time was India's second choice replacement for openers and was behind Mukund in the race to fill the opener's position. However, Dhawan produced a dazzling knock in the first innings of the first Test and it not only cemented his position in the team but it also pushed Mukund back.
Dhawan's aggressive innings of 190 in the Galle Test laid the foundation of India's victory and hence he became the automatic choice to open the innings for the next Test. Mukund scored a half-century in the second innings but by that time Dhawan had already gone ahead of him.
The rise of Dhawan means now there are three players who are ahead of Mukund in the race to become India's Test openers. Murali Vijay's terrific record in the last couple of years has made him India's first choice opener and hence when fit, he will, by default open India's innings.
KL Rahul has scored seven fifties in the last seven Test innings and this incredible consistency makes him the automatic partner for Vijay at the top of the order.
So far, Mukund was roped into India's Test squad as a replacement for the openers but Dhawan, with his sensational comeback, has sidelined Mukund as the first choice replacement for the openers.
This makes things extremely difficult for Mukund and hence he may not feature in India's next Test tour.