MS Dhoni: Miscommunication on Shikhar Dhawan's injury created unrest in the Indian dressing room
Brisbane, Dec 20 - India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni, on Saturday, said there was miscommunication on the fourth morning of the second Test about the status of opener Shikhar Dhawan's injury sustained ahead of the day's play commencing.
Dhawan was injured on the wrist while batting at the nets, leaving the team think-tank in confusion regarding its impact and whether he would be able to resume batting at the start of the day's play. The left-hander was not out on 26 at stumps on day three.
"There was miscommunication in our dressing room about whether Shikhar will go in to bat or Virat will go in to bat," Dhoni said, after India lost the game by four wickets to trail 0-2 in the four-match Test series.
"I don't think we really handled the situation very well. I think the only way out of that was for the batsmen to spend a little time. But we were not able to do that."
Initially, it was believed he would shake off the injury and join Cheteshwar Pujara, the other unbeaten batsman overnight, in the middle. But he informed of his unavailability just prior to the start of action, giving No.4 Virat Kohli just a few minutes to prepare himself to begin the day's proceedings.
The miscommunication proved disastrous as an unsettled Kohli lasted just 13 balls, getting his defence breached by pacer Mitchell Johnson. That started the collapse as the visitors were reduced from a comfortable 71 for one to a precarious 87 for five which broke their batting backbone. The rapid rate of India’s crumbling forced Dhawan to return to the crease at 117 for six. India were dismissed for a paltry total of 224 leading to the defeat.
India also complained of the quality of the practice pitches at the Gabba, which they believe led to Dhawan's injury.
"Yes, we were having a bat in the nets and you know the wickets were not very good and he got hit. But he didn't really react too badly there so we thought it's one of those where you get a hit but you are fine to bat, by the time we came back he was really feeling the pain and he was not really in a position to go in to bat," Dhoni said.
"I felt we were able to give only five to seven minutes' notice to Virat that he's going in next and I believe to some extent it created a bit of unrest in the dressing room and from that we were not able to get back. I would say that was one of the shortfalls, one area where we should have handled better."
Apart from Dhawan, Kohli also took a blow on his left arm while batting in the practice pitches.