"Shikhi boy has not scored runs in the last 9-10 innings" - Aakash Chopra says Shikhar Dhawan will be feeling the pressure

Aakash Chopra reckons Shikhar Dhawan might be feeling the pinch after another failure in the second ODI between India and Bangladesh in Mirpur on Wednesday, December 7.

Dhawan managed just eight runs before he gloved a snorter from Mustafizur Rahman to Mehidy Hasan Miraz at point. The Men in Blue scored 266/9 in pursuit of a 272-run target to lose the match by five runs.

While reflecting on India's chase in a video shared on his YouTube channel, Chopra highlighted that both Dhawan and Virat Kohli failed to give the team a good start, elaborating:

"Rohit Sharma did not come to open, Virat Kohli came alongside Shikhar Dhawan. Virat Kohli was dismissed off Ebadot Hossain's bowling. Shikhar Dhawan also got out at the other end. Shikhi boy has not scored runs in the last 9-10 innings."

The former Indian opener feels Dhawan's indifferent recent performances might put his ODI spot at stake. He said:

"He has scored one or two half-centuries, which too came at an extremely slow pace. So he will be feeling the pressure. Shreyas Iyer played well. He has a quality that in ODI cricket he finds ways to score runs."

On the flip side, Chopra praised Shreyas Iyer for delivering consistently with the bat, observing:

"He consistently makes a contribution. Even if you see these two matches, India have lost, but he has scored runs. We lost the series in New Zealand but he scored runs. So he is consistently scoring runs in ODI cricket."

Iyer scored 82 runs off 102 deliveries, a knock studded with six fours and three sixes. He strung together a 107-run fifth-wicket partnership with Axar Patel (run-a-ball 56) to bring India back into the game.

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"We all were thinking that Rohit will not come to bat" - Aakash Chopra

Rohit Sharma's fighting knock went in vain. [P/C: BCCI/Twitter]

Chopra pointed out that it seemed Rohit Sharma would not be seen with the willow in hand due to his thumb injury. He explained:

"Washi (Sundar) got out and then KL Rahul also got out. Shreyas Iyer and Axar Patel stitched together a good partnership there. At this point in time, we all were thinking that Rohit will not come to bat because Shardul and Deepak also came."

Chopra concluded by observing that the Indian skipper's heroic effort could not take his team across the finish line, elaborating:

"There he comes out to bat. The game changed after that, Bangladesh started to get slightly jittery, they dropped catches. The match did get stuck and 12 were required off the last two balls. He hit a six off the penultimate ball. Mustafizur bowls a yorker on the last ball, it is a dot ball and India loses the match by five runs.

Rohit smashed an unbeaten 51 off just 28 balls after walking out to bat at No. 9. He smoked three fours and five sixes during his innings, but could not hit the winning maximum off the final delivery.