Another failure for Dhawan has added to India's woes.
India may have come out the happier of the two sides after the fifth one-dayer of the Carlton Mid tri-series in Sydney was rained out but during the 16 overs on Monday, the glaring questions that hovered over their top-order turned into massive headaches.
With the bowlers showing that they could be a big problem, India already had their plates full ahead of the ICC Cricket World Cup. Two of the four batsmen who were lucky or unlucky to bat in the penultimate league game only added to the problems today, leaving MS Dhoni and Co. with big decisions to make.
Shikhar Dhawan has contributed little next to nothing in three ODIs while Ambati Rayudu seems all at sea about his role in the side. Both failed in testing conditions on Monday, adding more substance to questions about their spots.
Having invited India to bat on a morning marred by rain, Australia bowled 16 overs before bad weather forced the umpires to call the game off. The teams were robbed off match practice but split points meant India kept alive their chances of progressing to the next stage and playing Australia in the final. Their game against England on January 30 will now be a virtual semifinal.
Just over an hour's play was possible in Sydney, but it was enough to compound the defending World Cup champions' woes.
Shikhar Dhawan understandably took a cautious approach and picked runs when the bowlers erred in line. However, his vigil lasted only 13 deliveries. Dhawan is now becoming concomitant with edging behind the stumps. The left-hander, once again, flirted with a delivery outside off-stump and edged it to first slip. Scores of 2, 1 and 8 are not what India would have hoped for from a batsman who is expected to replicate Virender Sehwags blazing approach.
Dhawans scores before the tri-series read 91, 79 and 113. Three successive failures doesn't necessarily mean a batsman is woefully out of form but Dhawan looks a mere shadow of the player he has been. His confidence has taken a battering and, against quality opposition in overseas conditions, he has become a liability.
Unlike Ajinkya Rahane or Rohit Sharma, Shikhar Dhawan cannot be moved down the order and that could work against the 29-year-old. Add to this, Dhawan's form when India visited New Zealand early last year (32, 12, 28, 9) and it becomes clear why Dhawan is everyone's favourite for the axe.
The other aspect that has made India's World Cup build up all the more irksome is their inability to figure out what to do with Rayudu. The fact that Virat Kohli 'gave him the chance that should have been given to him 10 years ago'is touching for sure but with a World Cup in sight, is it right to persist with having him at the crucial No.3 spot? Especially when India boast of the worlds best No. 3 at the moment.
Rayudu was used more as a pinch-hitter on Monday, perhaps keeping in mind that rain would have an effect on the outcome. And although he hit a couple of lusty blows, it was clear that being quick off the blocks is not one of his strong points. India have players like Suresh Raina to play in such manner, should the need arise. Rayudu slammed two fours and a six during his 24-ball cameo before he was out, trying to hoick Mitchell Marsh out of the ground.
Moving him down the order would pose other problems for India. Rayudu is not known for his big hits and he could throw a spanner in India's works during the death overs should he be batting then. When India played England in a one-off T20I in September last year, MS Dhoni refused to give Rayudu the strike as he appeared to have doubted the Baroda batsman's finishing capabilities. India will be keen on avoiding a similar situation during the World Cup. So then, would the side be looking at dropping Rayudu from the side? That would allow a more-solid Ajinkya Rahane to drop down to No. 3 with Dhawan and Rohit Sharma opening. India could also be looking at getting Rayudu ready for any eventuality. While they see him more as a batsman who can drop anchor, India could also be making sure that Rayudu is ready to wield the long-handle should the situation crop up.
India's experimentation in the tri-series has unfortunately left them with more issues to address. With Ravindra Jadeja and Axar Patel not getting their chance in today's game, the side would now be in a quandary about what to do in their must-win game against England. Should they give Patel and Jadeja another go in the XI? Should Dhawan and Rayudu get one last chance? Or should India go with an in-form and tested combination?
MS Dhoni and Duncan Fletcher do not have much time to find the right answers.
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