India vs Australia | The role of an all-rounder adds balance to the side, claims Shikhar Dhawan

The latest controversy to tarnish the image of cricket came when Indian cricketers, Hardik Pandya and KL Rahul, were banished from the ODI squad from the ongoing tour of Australia after their offensive comments on a chat show. However, Indian opener Shikhar Dhawan has brought up the importance of having a hard-hitting all-rounder in the squad. 

The Indian management has been forced to experiment with their starting XI for the two games against Australia and would be looking to do the same for the series finale on Friday at the MCG. Dhawan, who featured in both games, added that it was good to see MS Dhoni get back to scoring runs after the latter hit a fast-paced 55 in the win against Aaron Finch & Co. on Tuesday.

“Obviously, if Hardik was around or Kedar plays, there is an extra edge. Whether is Tests or ODIs, the role of an all-rounder is important to give an extra balance to the side.

“It was good to see Dhoni bhai get his touch back. It was a complete performance from the team in the last game. He brings a lot of confidence and calmness. The batsmen have been performing well in the past few years and hope to continue to do that in the next few as well,” said Dhawan, reported Scroll.in.

The southpaw also admitted that the Kangaroos have missed the skills of the banned duo - Steven Smith and David Warner. Justin Langer’s boys have been in a desperate need of a leader and an explosive batsman at the top of the batting order and would be eagerly waiting for the return of the pair once their suspensions end in the coming months.

“David Warner and Steve Smith’s presence is missing in the side. They are legends. But they are a good all-round side otherwise as well with Finch and the rest.

“In the first ten overs, Bhuvi [Bhuvneshwar Kumar] and Shami are experienced and that’s why we have been dominating. We respect that Finch is a great player but the boys must have seen his weakness and are implementing plans rightly. We are not giving him any singles or boundaries and that can be the key in limited-overs. Then, the batsman is under pressure and the bowlers start feeling confident,” the left-handed batsman concluded.