India had just one warm-up game ahead of the first Test match of the highly-anticipated five-match Test series and one of the talking points was what the opening combination would be for Edgbaston.
And it’s fair to say, Shikhar Dhawan did not exactly pass that test in flying colours. In the first innings, Matt Coles got the left-hander out for a first-ball duck on a green pitch, when the conditions were best for bowling. In the very first over, the burly right-arm pacer got the ball to move back in from good length and Dhawan ended up getting an inside edge, through to the keeper.
Just like the commentator completely messing up Dhawan’s name, the opener didn’t cover himself in glory.
With Essex deciding to declare in the second session of the third and final day, all eyes were once again on Dhawan. India would have loved for the Delhi batsman to get some time out in the middle. Alas, after being beaten by the first two balls all ends up, Dhawan was late on an angled delivery by pacer Matt Quinn, and was beaten once again. This time the ball hit the stumps and he was dismissed for a third-ball duck.
Has Dhawan dropped himself from contention for the first Test? Only time will tell. Here’s a poll where you can let us know what you think.
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