It was difficult dropping Shikhar Dhawan: MSK Prasad

Indian opener, Shikhar Dhawan has had a dream run in the recently concluded Asia Cup. He was the highest run-scorer there and was also the ‘Man of the Series’. However, the same cricketer, just a few days before the Asia Cup, had a terrible time playing in England. He struggled against the swinging red-ball and never looked to be at ease.

Taking this fact into consideration, the selectors decided to axe him for the upcoming Windies Test series. MSK Prasad, the chairman of selectors, said that dropping Dhawan was difficult. Further, he expressed surprise that Dhawan wasn’t able to convert his white-ball heroics into something substantial while playing with the red-ball. However, he noted that the gates are open for the left-hander if he is willing to put the hard strides in.

The gates are open for Shikhar Dhawan’s comeback

“It is really surprising that a batsman who can rule in white-ball cricket finds it difficult to replicate the same in red-ball cricket,” Prasad told The Indian Express. Shikhar only managed to score 162 runs in the England tour at a dismal average of 20.25. He failed to score even a single half-century which is quite disheartening.

“He is a treat to watch in any format of the game. Unfortunately, we had to take this tough decision after giving him considerable opportunities. At the same time, we can say that if Shikhar is willing to put in the hard yards required for the longer format, the gates are definitely open for him,” Prasad further added.

With Wriddhiman Saha still recovering from the shoulder injury, Prasad said that it is a great opportunity for Rishabh Pant. Nevertheless, he added that the aggressive batsman needs to fine-tune his keeping skills. Prasad said that he is a part of the plans for the Australia tour.

He also noted that Pant’s keeping skills are being monitored at the National Cricket Academy (NCA). The Delhi batsman is being coached by the likes of Kiran More and Abhay Sharma to improve his keeping.

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