- Need to back the Rohit – Dhawan combo:
As perplexing as it may sound, but the last time India’s premier pair opened the innings, it was exactly a year ago in Sydney. Since then, injuries have plagued the duo, thereby prohibiting them from opening together. India’s woes at the top of the order have been crystal clear indeed, as since the last two completed series, (5 ODIs vs New Zealand, 3 vs England), the opening pair averages a mere 22.75. These stats clearly indicate the fact that the makeshift openers in Ajinkya Rahane and KL Rahul have failed to grab the chances on offer. As compared to this, the Rohit Sharma – Shikhar Dhawan combination averages an impressive 45.36 in 56 innings.
The person under scrutiny is Shikhar Dhawan, as the southpaw seemed terribly out of form against England, and was even dropped at Kolkata. But one must remember the fact that Dhawan is a big tournament player and is at his best in the big games. It was at the Champions Trophy in 2013, when this pair opened together for the first time, and since then has scripted numerous victories for India. Ideally, the management should back this entertaining pair to come good in the tournament.