Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan and Murali Vijay: Which pair will form the opening partnership for India?

Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir formed an explosive opening pair for India for a considerable period of time. They shared a good understanding by virtue of belonging to the same Ranji Team (Delhi) and that showed in their running between the wickets. Sehwag’s unpredictable style, which depends greatly on forcing himself on the opposition with aggressive and uninhibited strokeplay, was matched by Gambhir’s grit and earnest application. At the World Cup, Gambhir moved to the one-down position to accommodate Sachin Tendulkar but Sehwag-Gambhir remained a reliable pair.

Indian cricket does not allow batsmen many slip-ups when in form, given the abundance of talent. Virender Sehwag’s style of play being prone to inconsistency meant that a number of other players have filled the opening spot with Gambhir in the recent past. Ajinkya Rahane had been travelling with the Indian squad for a while till he was given a rude severance before the Champions Trophy. With Gambhir also suffering from a drought of runs, Murali Vijay and Shikhar Dhawan could not have chosen a better moment to prove their mettle in the Test series against Australia where they piled up big tons.

Murali Vijay has enjoyed MS Dhoni‘s confidence in his Chennai Super King’s side and his inclusion in the Test side proved to be a good throw of the dice. Vijay is a technically equipped batsman who depends on his ability to play with a straight bat against quality fast bowling and has the ability to build a long innings. He has definitely left a mark on the Indian Test squad by garnering just over 1000 runs in 16 Tests with an average just below 40. Even though his aggressive style of batting and his ability to clear the in-field make him a good contender for the limited-overs version of the game, he has thrown away a number of opportunities. His most recent failures came in the warm-up matches that saw him being sidelined from the first match of the Champions Trophy.

Shikhar Dhawan, on the other hand, is more aggressive and unorthodox. Another stalwart from the Delhi Ranji team, he has waited for his opportunities with great patience. He has a particular penchant for coming down the wicket and flat-batting fast bowlers. He can milk the spinners and play the big shots when required. Shikhar Dhawan has finally made a heavy reputation for himself in International Cricket by scoring the fastest ever double ton on debut against Australia. He has continued to build on that reputation with a match-winning ton against South Africa in the opening match of the Champions Trophy. Dhawan looks to have cemented a place for himself in the side for some time.

Rohit Sharma’s half-century against South Africa came as a lease of life for his career. He has been under constant pressure for his failing performances and averaged a dismal 12.92 in 14 ODIs last year. Though, it is perhaps the image of that Rohit Sharma who took on Australia in Australia in the CB series of 2008 that remains the most forceful. He impressed a lot of pundits and especially Ian Chappell with his poise. Sharma’s batting style is extremely easy on the eye, as he seems to have all the time in the world to play the ball. He times the ball sweetly and has all the shots in the book. Though Sharma’s overseas record last year was limp, his technique seems to augur well for him when he plays on pacy, bouncy wickets. What has been stopping this potential juggernaut?

Harsha Bhogle is often quoted saying that Rohit Sharma is a player who has to battle demons inside himself more than battling the opposition. His stint as captain of the Mumbai Indians has improved his temperament and must have given him a great amount of confidence. Rohit Sharma has a chance of a lifetime at this Champions Trophy as he is likely to continue opening with Shikhar Dhawan for the rest of the tournament, and some good performances will make him  a key component of India’s WC 2015 plans.

The Champions Trophy is widely perceived to be a tournament that allows teams to test their balance and work towards the larger plan of the World Cup. India’s opening pair can be potentially settled by the end of this tournament and if we get to see some failures, the door will perhaps be open for the experience of Gautam Gambhir and Virender Sehwag to make a comeback.