Mohinder Amarnath believes Shikhar Dhawan needs time to settle in English conditions

SRH opener Shikhar Dhawan has been one of team India’s most consistent performers with the bat over the last year or so, but the current UK tour revealed some disappointing outings for the batsman. Dhawan scored an impressive 74 against Ireland in the first T20I but managed to score just 19 runs in three T20Is against England last week. Former Indian cricketer Mohinder Amarnath reckoned that the seasoned batsman needed some time to settle down and adapt to the conditions in the United Kingdom. 

"So, while everyone played their part, Rohit was exceptional. Hardik Pandya also came good in the last game with four wickets, and continued with a well-made 33. The only worry, perhaps, is Shikhar's form, but I'm sure he will come good. He needs a little time to settle in and the 50-over format will help him with that. India will need to rely more on their pacers in England. The spinners will play a part in this series - they played well in the T20s with a case in point being Chahal who bowled a good line and length. I was surprised that Kuldeep was left out of the last game," Amarnath wrote in his column for TOI.

Amarnath also spoke about how crucial the Indian pacers will prove to be ahead of India’s first ODI today against Eoin Morgan & Co. The absence of Jasprit Bumrah will put added pressure on the wrist-spinners such as Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal, but Amarnath was confident that the talented Indian side will come through and win this series.

"I feel, however, that the seamers are the ones who will do the job, with the spinners chipping in. The good thing is that in Raina they will have someone who can contribute with bat and ball. It will be interesting to see what combination India goes with. Moving from one format to another is always difficult, but India have always performed well in the shorter formats of the game. Their preparation is on the right track, exactly what it should be before the series with the red ball begins," Amarnath added.