"What is the criteria for selection?" Sunil Gavaskar questions Shikhar Dhawan's ouster from Lord's Test

Indian cricket legend Sunil Gavaskar has questioned the ouster of Shikhar Dhawan from the playing XI for Lord's Test. Dhawan was the third highest run-scorer for India, after skipper Virat Kohli and Hardik Pandya, in the first Test but wasn't deemed fit to be a part of the team for the second match and was replaced by Cheteshwar Pujara.

Gavaskar wasn't happy with the southpaw's ouster and said that he is always dropped after only one Test while others get more opportunities. The former cricketer then went on to question the criteria for selection in the team as both the Indian openers in Lord's, Murali Vijay and KL Rahul, scored fewer runs than Dhawan in Edgbaston.

"My point about Dhawan is that he is always dropped after one Test," Gavaskar told Mumbai Mirror.

"Others get another opportunity. He should have also got a second chance. If you look at the scores in the first Test, he scored more runs than Murali Vijay and KL Rahul. So, what is the criteria?"

Gavaskar also pointed out that Dhawan is a left-hander, which would've given some variety to the Indian batting line-up which has only one left-hander in Kuldeep Yadav.

"Selection should be according to the pitch. It should be six batsmen where you don't know what the opposition has in store for you.

"He [Dhawan] is a left-hander. If he was a right-hander, I can understand that you want to go with the younger option of Rahul. He should have been retained and the team should have strengthened the batting. In Australia, South Africa and England, you need to go with six batsmen in the first Test."

England are firmly on the driver's seat in the Test match. After bowling India out for 107, the hosts have added 357 runs for the loss of six wickets, which include a century from Chris Woakes, who replaced Ben Stokes for the match. Jonny Bairstow played a knock of 93 runs as well and in the process, surpassed Kohli as the highest run-getter across all formats this year.