Playng their final Test match before the tour of South Africa, India’s team management tried out its third opening combination in as many games as KL Rahul made way for Shikhar Dhawan to partner Murali Vijay as the side faced Sri Lanka in Delhi.
Skipper Virat Kohli has been continually facing a happy headache of picking an ideal opening pair. In Kolkata, Shikhar Dhawan opened India’s batting with KL Rahul. As the former, skipped the second game due to personal reasons, Kohli got a chance to play Vijay and Rahul together.
On Saturday, local boy Dhawan walked back into the playing XI. He resumed his partnership with Vijay – a fruitful partnership for India in the not so recent past. The duo began well smashing six boundaries.
The argument for Rahul was fading quite rapidly at that point. Dhawan, though, kept the debate alive after perishing, thanks to a rash shot on a flat deck at the Kotla.
It was an ill-advised attempt at a slog sweep that brought about his downfall on Saturday. It came against the run of play and gave rise to a tricky spell for India, on what was primed to be an easy outing for the batsmen after fortune favoured the hosts at the toss.
Glaring flaws
In Kolkata, Dhawan had fallen prey to similar indulgences. He chopped one onto the stumps after a flashy drive in the first innings. In the second essay, he was caught behind as he tried to step out and drive to a length ball bowled outside off, missing out on a century that was there for the taking.
If Dhawan’s flashy ways have led to his downfall, for Rahul, it is his lack of conviction in shot selection that has left his bid for sealing the opening slot uncertain. He was caught behind the very first ball of the series. The brutish delivery by Lakmal had left him with no real shot to offer. All he could do was edge it to the keeper. He was bowled in the second innings, after reacting late to a ball that moved late. It was a loose shot where a straighter bat could have helped him keep the ball out comfortably. A similarly loose shot in the second Test saw him play onto the stumps despite no movement off the wicket.
Among the three, Vijay has looked the most assured. On Saturday, he smashed his second consecutive hundred of the series, effectively sealing his place in the XI in South Africa. And he didn’t just stop at an 100 – he made it big. He said after Nagpur that he wanted to carry on after the three-figure mark and a 155 in Delhi was just what the doctor ordered.
Any team would prefer to open with a left-right pair at the top of the innings. On wickets that suit bowlers, it is preferable to have enough resources in the batting that disrupts the line and length of the bowlers. A combination of Dhawan with either of Vijay and Rahul would be ideal. However, it is only Vijay, who has shown consistency – a necessity if India are to come out on the winning side in South Africa.
India’s openers in 2017
Shikhar Dhawan
Mts: 5*; Runs: 483; Avg: 76.66; HS: 190; 100: 2; 50: 1.
KL Rahul
Mts: 9; Runs: 633; Avg: 48.89; HS: 90; 100: 0; 50: 9.
Murali Vijay
Mts: 6*; Runs: 511; Avg: 56.77; HS: 128; 100: 3; 50: 1.
Alternate plans
Despite the limited preparation time before the South Africa tour, India are hoping to hit the ground running once they touch base in Africa.
Vijay’s defensive prowess is a facet India will need in South Africa, and his form now assures him of a place. Dhawan’s aggressive style is important as India will hope to dominate the opposition from the get go. Rahul is a more complete batsman compared to the other two. He can be aggressive when wants to be and is equally adept at putting up his shield when needed. However, his lack of big scores in the past year could go against him in South Africa.
All three, though, have shown one flaw or the other over the past year, keeping others in the fray. At this stage, all three look certain to fly out to South Africa.
Former India captain Sunil Gavaskar has suggested that all three openers be included in the playing XI. One of the three batting at No 6, could provide India an ideal batsman in time for the second new ball.
This plan, though, might not sit well with a certain Rohit Sharma, who smashed a ton in his comeback Test while batting at No 6 in Nagpur.
Playing all three in the XI could still be a possibility, if vice-captain Ajinkya Rahane’s poor run of form continues. But that possibility seems remote as the 29-year-old is one of India’s most consistent performers overseas.
On paper, all three are fine batsmen who could make the playing XI of most teams around the world. But, such is the competition for a spot in Kohli’s team, that the slimmest of margins can decide the fate of a player. And Saturday’s proceedings did little to help Kohli make up his mind.
While Vijay looks a clear starter, the debate between Dhawan and Rahul looks to be far from over.
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