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After a dismal performance in the recently concluded Test series against England, the time is now ripe for the selectors to look beyond Shikhar Dhawan in red-ball cricket. Shikhar Dhawan is undoubtedly a phenomenal white-ball cricketer as he has proved time and again with some match-winning performances, but has failed to replicate the same kind of performances in Test cricket.
His overall average is 40.61 in Tests which looks decent, but it is heavily inflated due to his runs in the subcontinent; outside Asia he averages 27.86 with a lone century in New Zealand way back in 2014. On the other hand in Asia he averages nearly 59 including 6 centuries. In the past it could have been argued that he was not given enough time to settle into the playing XI when playing overseas as the team management used to drop him after two or three failures.
But in the Test series in England he was given a longer, playing 4 out of 5 matches and in 8 innings he scored 162 runs at an average of 20.25, which is the lowest among the batsmen from both sides included. So the selectors should now look for new reinforcements at the top order rather than persisting with tried and tested players. It will also provide selectors an opportunity to test the youngsters before the crucial overseas tour Down Under.
Here are the players they can pick for the Windies series.
#1 Mayank Agarwal
Lets start with the obvious name. Mayank Agarwal has been in ominous form ever since the start of last season. He averages 50.30 in First-Class cricket, including a triple century he scored last year (304*). He looks destined to play for India in the future. The only obstacle in his way is his poor run of form in this years IPL where he was expected to destroy attacks with his exemplary hitting.
But the selectors made it clear that First-Class cricket performances hold top most priority for selecting the national team so it is just matter of time before he gets his deserved opportunity.
#2 Prithvi Shaw
Mumbai prodigy Prithvi Shaw has been making rapid strides in Indian domestic cricket after making his FC debut for Mumbai team against Tamil Nadu last year. He immediately made an impact as he scored his maiden century in the second innings of his debut match. He never looked back after that as he hit seven centuries at an impressive average of 56.72.
He even captained the Indian Under-19 squad this year at the Under 19 WC where India emerged victorious. Even in the recently concluded India A tour held in England, he amassed 250 runs in 4 innings at an average of 62.50 and finished at the top of run charts. He was selected as a replacement for veteran opener Murali Vijay for last two Tests in England but could not make the final eleven. So he is the most likely candidate to open the innings along with KL Rahul in the immediate future.
#3 Rohit Sharma
Considering Rohit Sharma for the opening position in Test cricket will surely generate a debate among the cricketing fraternity. The general consensus is that Sharma usually struggles against the moving ball in the initial stages, so he is not capable of playing Test cricket. But which batsmen from India is an expert in playing swing bowling?
Even the modern day great Virat Kohli had a forgettable tour of England in 2014 which he resurrected in the recently concluded series. The remaining players like Pujara, Dhawan, Rahul, Rahane have also had their share of struggles against the moving ball. Speaking of his troubles against swing, Sharma has proven himself as a consistent ODI opener by scoring runs all over the world.
He has decent ODI record in England and Australia and has improved his temperament and skills over the years and was in good Test form last year when he scored a century after four long years, which resulted in his selection for the South Africa Test series. He played the first two Tests and was then dropped.
Rohit Sharma's case in Test cricket is similar to that of Shikhar Dhawan as he was never been given a consistent run in the side, getting dropped frequently. He is a proven match-winner in limited overs cricket and has played several marathon innings (including 171* at Perth) which prove that he has the temperament and skills to excel in the longer format even in foreign conditions. He even has a triple hundred to his name in First-Class cricket. Rohit himself recently said that he is willing to open in Tests if provided an opportunity.
So if not at number 6, selectors should give him a consistent run in the XI as an opener for one last time before passing a verdict on his Test career. It could either prove to be dawn of a new era or the culmination of an unfulfilled career in Test cricket.
