India`s tour of England: Is it time for Gautam Gambhir to replace Shikhar Dhawan?

Zee Media Bureau/Chaitan Papnai

New Delhi: Though India have taken a crucial 1-0 lead against England in the five match long Test series by winning the second Test at Lord`s, their opener Shikhar Dhawan has been struggling with the bat. In the first innings of the first Test at Trent Bridge the southpaw got out after scoring 12 runs, though, in the second innings he got the start but failed to convert it into a big score. The same story was repeated in the next match at Lords, when he was sent back to the pavilion for a score of seven and 31, respectively. In his four innings Dhawan failed to give India a solid start. But India have another opener in the form of Gautam Gambhir, who has been selected as a reserve opener for the much-hyped tour. After the failure of Dhawan, MS Dhoni should give a chance to Gauti who has been in good nick and more importantly has the experience to play in English conditions. In fact, in the two practice matches against Leics and Derbyshire, before the start of the series, Gambhir played confident knocks of 54 and 21 (not out), respectively. The ageing opener, Gambhir, would be eagerly waiting to be the part of the playing XI in England. After leading his IPL franchise, Kolkata Knight Riders, to their second IPL trophy, Gambhir would be full of confidence. Now it`s up to Indian skipper Dhoni, whether to persist with Dhawan or replace him with the more experienced Gambhir.