Shikhar Dhawan's form: A wrong takeaway from Asia Cup 2018
Now that the Asia Cup is finally over, after some unexpectedly exciting matches, mostly involving Afghanistan, various analysts have started writing their reviews of the championships.
A quick look at these analyses would throw up some points that may seem sound and logical in the immediate aftermath of the conclusion of the championships, but are actually flawed; at least that is the view of this columnist.
Find below one of these wrong takeaways.
Shikhar Dhawan has regained his form: Suddenly, the struggles of Dhawan in England seem to have faded away from people’s memory. A player who was rightly being criticised by critics and fans for his lack of technique and temperament in swinging English conditions just about a month ago, is being seen to have suddenly rediscovered his form.
In the just-concluded Asia Cup, he scored two centuries, including one against Pakistan, and finished the Asia Cup as the highest scorer. The commentators, including the former greats of the game, were effusive in their praise. Now that’s quite alright. He needs to be commended for putting the disappointment of his failures in England and scoring heavily in the Asian conditions.
But the commentators and analysts are absolutely wrong when they start pointing out how he has learnt from his mistakes from the England tour and rectified his technical faults. Because that’s not the case at all. If the last few seasons are any indication, he always thrives on the subcontinent (Asian) pitches and struggles in the foreign conditions abroad, especially when the ball starts swinging.
This is especially true for Tests, where he is a sitting duck against any bowler who can swing the ball away from him at a decent space. And as an opening batsman, he is required to play when the pitch is most conducive to swing. But in Indian or Asian conditions, he is almost Sehwag-eqsue!
So, should he be selected only for Asian conditions and be dropped for non-Asian tours, replacing him with somebody else. Though this seems to be like horses for courses scenario, my suggestion would be to drop him completely from the Test set up. Groom somebody else who has a sound defensive technique, and can do reasonably well abroad. In Asian conditions, most Indian opening batsmen are quite capable of doing well, anyway.
Keep Dhawan in the team for the limited-overs format. It is too late for him to improve his technique to be successful in England, South Africa, Australia or New Zealand. He may score once in a while, but he is never going to be successful consistently there as an opening batsman in Tests.
It’s wrong to say that Dhawan who was apparently out of form in England, is suddenly back in form now. It’s even more hilarious that after scoring heavily in the Asia Cup, Dhawan now says that he was never out of form in the first place! It will be a travesty to select him for the Test series in Australia later this year, on the basis of his Asia Cup performances.