Gambhir and Dhawan:The comparisons can wait

We in India simply love to compare. We compare our cars, our houses, our children, and would rather like to, our bank balances too. So it is quite natural and acceptable, when these comparisons transcend the barriers of our personal lives and tread into the territory of sportsmen.

We compare eras when we match up Tendulkar with Bradman; we compare age when we talk of Sindhu and Saina and we compare distinct styles when we compare Kumble to Warne, there’s hardly anyone who gets left out. Irrespective of how old or new you are, you must be ready to be compared even if your most inherent wish is to establish a distinct identity of yourself. Hence, when  the upcoming India international, Shikhar Dhawan, is touted as a possible replacement to Gautam Gambhir, the comparisons starkly present themselves, and  bring with them a whole lot of baggage that this young lad surely doesn’t need, leave alone deserve.

Gambhir and Dhawan are left-handers, represent Delhi in the Ranji Trophy and are openers. The similarities don’t just end there , but extend to their penchant for aggressive batting and love for stepping out of the crease to hit bowlers over cover or extra-cover. It’s quite obvious that pundits find this to be a marvelous opportunity to rush into declaring Dhawan as Gambhir’s replacement, not understanding that by doing so they are creating a two-fold problem. Firstly, it is raising the public expectations on Dhawan and not allowing the youngster an easy transition into the international arena and secondly, it is writing off the comeback possibility of one of the better players in Indian cricket’s history.

At the threshold of thirty, Gautam Gambhir has had a forgetable 2013. He was dropped from the Indian Test setup, called up as a replacement for the final Test, only to be hit by a bad bout of sickness. An ODI ouster followed – all of which was contrasting to that of Shikhar Dhawan’s fortunes. The mustachioed run-machine hammered an Australia attack during his debut Test innings at Mohali and on his ODI comeback, scored a match-winning hundred at Cardiff to push the formidable South Africans out of the game. And on both occasions, he was filling in the shoes of Gambhir at the top of the order.

For those who have followed Indian cricket, Shikhar Dhawan is an old name, having shot into the scene in 2004 during the U-19 World Cup at Dhaka. It’s been years of struggle and consistent piling up of runs in domestic cricket that has brought him this close to a regular place in the India setup. And if there’s anyone who understands the value of that place, it is Gambhir, who has had his own share of bad luck and frustrations till he could actually get that coveted opener’s slot. To give him fair credit, he had done a reasonably good job as an opener in both formats till early 2012.