‘Should we go back to…’ – Ravichandran Ashwin’s bold statement on India’s opener debate

Shikhar Dhawan’s place in the limited-overs format during the World Cup year is in serious doubt, considering the recent growth of Ishan Kishan and Shubman Gill in ODIs. The seasoned Indian opener concluded a forgettable series against Bangladesh, but Kishan established his dominance with an incredible double century during the same tour.

Ravichandran Ashwin, a great all-rounder, has commented on the opener’s position in the Indian squad after Kishan’s double ton placed Dhawan in a pickle.

The seasoned Indian all-rounder stated on his YouTube channel that the Asian giants have always had quality top-order batters. Veteran opener Dhawan was praised by Ashwin as a white-ball cricket stalwart. The former star of the Delhi franchise also noted that Dhawan continued to be a “quiet” factor in Team India’s triumph in the limited-overs tournament.

“Only when the Top 3 failed, we had problems in the past. Shikhar Dhawan, Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli. We talk a lot about Rohit and Kohli, but Dhawan is a stalwart. He was silently doing his job. Will his place be a big void to fill for Team India?,” Ashwin said.

Indian unit as a batting unit has struggled against spin: Gautam Gambhir

Dhawan, a veteran batter, has appeared in 167 ODIs for Team India. After a disappointing performance against Bangladesh, the 37-year-old was removed from the ODI squad. Ashwin has made a remarkable statement in response to Dhawan’s ODI omission after the Indian team decided to keep Kishan in the white-ball lineup.

“Should we go back to Shikhar Dhawan, or should we groom Ishan Kishan, who has just scored a double hundred? Instead of backing a player on the basis of one huge score, we should see what the team requires. Which character will deliver under pressure? Which character will serve us for a long time?” the veteran opener asserted

After India’s victory, former opener Gautam Gambhir attacked Kishan brutally. Gambhir advised the batter to concentrate on rotating the strike in the future because he believed Kishan lacked the necessary skill.

“It’s not only one chink in his armour. Indian unit as a batting unit has struggled against spin. Just the ability to not be able to manoeuvre..it’s easy to hit those big sixes but the ability to rotate strikes consistently. And there was enough purchase for spinners as well. It was pretty much evident when you got Michael Bracewell against Ishan Kishan,” Gambhir told Star Sports.