Virat expects opener Shikhar Dhawan to play Virender Sehwag’s role

Virat expects opener Shikhar Dhawan to play Virender Sehwag’s role: Rain played the spoilsport as the first test between India and Bangladesh which ended in a draw. Despite the disappointing result there were some eye-catching individual performances. Shikhar Dhawan’s astonishing knock of 173 put India in a commanding position. It’s extraordinary that his 173 was from just 195 balls as he decimated the Bangladesh bowlers. His knock reminded everyone of the phenomenal Virender Sehwag.

Viru’s aggressive batting provided a new dimension to test cricket. Not many batsmen have made such impact; he had the ability to change the game in a quick time. Dhawan has proved himself as a versatile batsman with his performances so far. He has gradually become one of India’s key players. His ability to produce some mammoth tons with an exceptional strike rate makes him more dangerous. And it’s evident from Dhawan’s innings that he could just be the apt player to fill Viru’s role.

No doubting that India is a powerhouse in cricket but we can’t deny the fact India is still in a transitional period finding replacements for the huge void left by veterans Sachin, Sehwag, Dravid and Laxman. Emergence of some talented youngsters has helped the team retain its place. Dhawan has showed glimpses of Viru in the last test as well.

Indian captain Virat Kohli reckons that Dhawan could be the one who could play Viru’s role for his team. As he said: “For Shikhar, we were always confident that if he gets going in Test matches, he can do what Viru paaji (Sehwag) used to do because he is one player who can turn the session around. Hopefully, he will carry the confidence of this game into other series in future.”