Shikhar Dhawan doesn't have the technique to survive against short-ball - Mohammad Azharuddin

Mohammad Azharuddin

Former Indian captain Mohammed Azharuddin has criticized the Indian opening batsman Shikhar Dhawan’s technique against the short-pitched deliveries.

Azharuddin stated: “Shikhar does not have the proper technique to play short ball. He has a flaw in his basic technique. Our opening partnership is of big concern. Since South Africa series, we have not got good starts. Since we are coming to play here in World Cup, adaptability is key and opening will be major concern for India in next year’s World Cup.”

“Firstly, he doesn’t leave the rising deliveries and has a tendency to awkwardly fend at it which is wrong. He stands outside the crease which is the reason he meets the rising delivery early which is also a mistake.

More you use the depth of the crease, it helps you play the ball late. A 145 kmph delivery’s speed will reduce by a few kms if you stand inside the crease.”

The rising-ball has often troubled the Indian batsman, and Azharuddin belives that even the ones back home are not the best in negotiating such deliveries.

“That’s also a problem. Viru ( Virender Sehwag) hasn’t scored any runs and Gautam (Gambhir) I believe also has problems with short deliveries. So what does Dhoni do? He has a genuine problem.”

The former skipper was also disappointed with the lacklustre performance of the spinners and had a go at them: “I was very disappointed with today’s performance. It was not an usual New Zealand track and we should have been able to defend on a track that offered turn. I was watching Jadeja get sufficient turn from the track. Ashwin should have got more purchase but he looked very flat. It looked to me that he was bowling too many straighter ones rather than bowling the off-breaks.”