Technique back in focus for Shikhar Dhawan

Jul 3, 2016 at 1:07 PM

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Technique back in focus for Shikhar Dhawan

The technique is an adjective used too often with flamboyant Indian opener Shikhar Dhawan. The marauding left-hander from Delhi has been a genuine asset for India in ODI’s, and his extraordinary numbers back his skills in the shorter form. However, his fans and supporters tend to hesitate while discussing his returns in test matches. Dhawan’s willow hasn’t yielded the results expected from him in tests.

A major reason behind the Delhi dasher’s disappointing run in test matches can be accredited to his technique. Dhawan has several loopholes in his batting technique and in test matches, the southpaw’s flaws are pretty obvious. He struggles against the ball moving away, and has been trapped numerously in the corridor of uncertainty, outside the off stump. Being an impulsive hooker, the opener has also been tested by the short-pitched deliveries and has often succumbed.

Ahead of India’s all-important test tour of the West Indies, Dhawan’s technique will once again be under the scanner. On the slow surfaces of the Caribbean, batting will surely not be easy and the sluggish pitches will further hinder stroke play. In order to get his basics right, the stylish opener will have to iron out his flaws and be patient.

Renowned cricket analyst Aakash Chopra had an interesting take on Dhawan in a recent article for ESPN Cricinfo. “It’s a combination of, I think, two-three things,” Chopra mentioned. “Obviously, his feet don’t move, and if your feet don’t move, you end up playing away from the body anyway. It gets rewarded in the shorter formats, so you don’t even think there is any need to change. And even though he likes to drive, when the ball is really full, he is on to his front foot and drives it well.”

“But he gets stuck on the crease to anything that is in the in-between length. And even while his intention is to play from the crease, he doesn’t really go onto the back foot, and instead just stays there and flashes outside off,” Dhawan former Delhi teammate added.

Chopra emphasized that Dhawan would have to learn to leave balls outside the off stump. “It’s not that it’s crouched or it’s too wide. It’s not too wide, neither too narrow in terms of his feet positioning, so it’s not that he’s falling over,” he said about the left hander’s stance. “But he definitely has to get into the habit of leaving balls outside off. T20 cricket and limited-overs cricket tell you to play away from the body; playing away from the body rewards you because if you get too close, you get cramped,” Chopra concluded.

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