Batsman Dhawan is set to make his first Test appearance for India in the third Test at Mohali.
After excluding veteran batsman Virender Sehwag from the last two Tests of the series, India have called-up Shikhar Dhawan to replace him at the top of their batting order.
Dhawan gets the nod ahead of Ajinkya Rahane, who has also never made a Test appearance but does have more first-class experience than Dhawan.
It is believed by many that Dhawan edged ahead of Rahane in order to keep the left-hand/right-hand combination at the top of the Indian order. It’s thought that the left-handed Dhawan will compliment other opener Murali Vijay, who is right-handed.
The 27-year-old batsman has played just six international matches but has failed to truly impress with the bat in his five ODIs and one Twenty20 match.
However, with India already 2-0 up in the series against the Australians the pressure could be taken off Dhawan slightly. That being said, the man he is replacing, Sehwag, was dropped from the side despite being a stalwart for some years, after he only scored 27 runs in three innings against Australia.
The new opener will be given the chance to prove himself on Thursday when the third Test between the sides begins at Mohali.
Most of the limelight in the build-up to the match has been taken up by the Australians’ controversial decision to suspend four of their key players just three days before the Test was due to start.
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