Twitter Reactions: Shikhar Dhawan fails with the bat yet again

When Gautam Gambhir was picked in the squad for the second Test against New Zealand at the Eden Gardens in Kolkata, it sparked somewhat of an interesting debate. However, with many expecting Gambhir to make his start after over two years in exile, Shikhar Dhawan was given his opportunity ahead of Gambhir.

Shikhar Dhawan had lost his place in the side courtesy of some terrible performances of late. Especially, in the series against West Indies where the Indians claimed a 2-0 win, Dhawan was subsequently expected to be dropped from the squad in a bid to bring in the solidity of the 24-year old KL Rahul.

The first Test at Kanpur saw the Indians clinch a win in what was their 500th Test match. KL Rahul was a part of this victory as much as any other player who played. However, there was some speculation when Dhawan had an open net session shortly after the close of the Test. The open net saw the 31-year old play some spin bowling from perhaps two of the best spinners in India – Amit Mishra and Anil Kumble.

However, while this held true for a part of it, Dhawan was picked ahead of Gambhir in the second Test. While the selection itself raised a few eyebrows in its own right, Dhawan’s performance in the first innings most certainly infuriated those who did not want him picked on the side. These irate fans took to Twitter to express their irritation towards the ordeal.

Also read – Illness rules Kane Williamson out of Eden Gardens Test

In spite of winning the toss, the Indians were on the brink from the very start when Trent Boult and Matt Henry were all over the Indian batting unit on the first day’s play itself.

Here is how Twitter reacted as Shikhar Dhawan failed with the bat yet again:

https://twitter.com/Guru_A_Nehra/status/781719843838001152

https://twitter.com/Vivek_Koka/status/781730460254765056