"It is a little unfair" - Rohan Gavaskar on whether the ODI series vs West Indies is make-or-break for Shikhar Dhawan
Rohan Gavaskar feels it would be unfair to term the upcoming ODI series against West Indies as make-or-break for Shikhar Dhawan's international career.
Team India will play a three-match ODI series against the Caribbean side, with the first game to be played in Port of Spain on Friday, July 22. With the likes of Rohit Sharma, Rishabh Pant and Jasprit Bumrah being rested, Dhawan will be leading the Indian team in the ODI leg of the tour.
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During an interaction on Sports 18, Rohan Gavaskar was asked if the ODIs against West Indies would be make-or-break for Shikhar Dhawan considering that he had an underwhelming series against England. He replied:
"Not make-or-break, he is an exceptional performer in international cricket and he has been so for a while. He has had three bad games in England and we are talking about it as make or break or is he on last chance, which I think is a little harsh, it is a little unfair."
Gavaskar highlighted the veteran opener's excellent record in his last 10 ODI games. The former Indian all-rounder observed:
"In his last 10 matches he is averaging about 44 and he has got three fifties, basically a fifty every three innings in his last 10 games. Even if he stops playing tomorrow, he will look back at his career with a lot of pride."
Dhawan has scored 220 runs at a decent average of 36.66 in the seven ODIs he has played this year. The 152-ODI veteran was at his consistent best in the previous two years, averaging 58.00 and 59.40 in 2020 and 2021 respectively.
"It's a good thing that the World Cup is just a year away" - Scott Styris on the West Indies series being crucial for Shikhar Dhawan
Scott Styris reckons Shikhar Dhawan is likely to be an integral member of the Indian side for next year's ODI World Cup. He said:
"It's a good thing that the World Cup is just a year away. You would like to think that the selectors, the coach and the captain are now just starting to narrow their focus on what they think India's best team looks like. Shikhar Dhawan will no doubt be in those plans."
Styris pointed out that Dhawan being a left-hander gives Team India a different option at the top of the order. The former New Zealand all-rounder elaborated:
"If this was at the start of his career, maybe something to worry about. But we all know what Shikhar Dhawan can do. He is a left-hander at the top, there are a lot of right-handed options for India at the top of the order, so I think he will always be there or thereabouts."
Styris concluded by stating that there is no additional pressure on Dhawan than there has been throughout his career. He added that the Indian team management should give the 36-year-old every opportunity to nail down his spot for the ODI World Cup if he is in their scheme of things for the tournament.