IND vs SA 2022: “He needs to put up the numbers as a batsman” - Wasim Jaffer reviews Shikhar Dhawan’s poor series with the willow

Wasim Jaffer reckons that despite his below-par performances with the bat in the three-match ODI series against South Africa, Shikhar Dhawan will be an automatic choice in India’s 50-over squad for the next series. However, he admitted that the veteran left-hander will need to keep scoring consistently to stave off competition from the younger generation.

Dhawan, 36, led India in the ODI series against South Africa, with the Men in Blue winning the rubber by a 2-1 margin. However, the opener had a poor series on the personal front, registering scores of four, 13 and eight.

With the 50-over World Cup coming up next year in India, the southpaw’s form is a definite cause for concern. Speaking to ESPNcricinfo, Jaffer said while discussing the topic:

“I am sure Dhawan is part of the original top six (in ODIs). He’s got 17 hundreds in one-dayers, so he’ll be an automatic choice. But there are few contenders waiting.

"Shubman Gill is one of them; Shreyas Iyer has put in a great performance. Suryakumar Yadav can also fit in the middle-order. Dhawan had a dull series. He did well as a captain, but he needs to put up the numbers as a batsman.”

The former opener sympathized with Dhawan, pointing out that things are difficult for the experienced batter since he only represents India in one format. Jaffer explained:

“The challenge for Dhawan is he doesn’t play T20Is and, obviously, he doesn’t play Tests. So there are very limited opportunities for him. He needs to keep himself ready for all the 50-over matches. Even in the last series, he looked a little bit rusty.”

Dhawan had a good tour of the West Indies, scoring two fifties in three ODIs. He also smashed an unbeaten 81 in the first ODI against Zimbabwe in Harare. However, he has reached the 40-run mark only once in his last five ODI innings.

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“Young guns are probably ready to challenge the big boys” - Wasim Jaffer impressed with India’s batting pool

Reviewing the performance of India’s young batters in the ODI series against South Africa, Jaffer stated that the hosts can take away a lot of positives.

He asserted that the youngsters can challenge the big names if the opportunity arises in the near future. Jaffer elaborated:

“Shreyas Iyer was the highest scorer in the series. Sanju Samson and Ishan Kishan did well. Shubman Gill did not score a lot of runs, but he looked the part in all the matches that he played. The young guns are probably ready to challenge the big boys.”

Shreyas Iyer scored 191 runs in the series at a strike rate of 111.70, while Sanju Samson contributed 118 without being dismissed even once. Ishan Kishan also chipped in with 123 runs at an average of 41.