The team management — comprising skipper Virat Kohli and head coach Ravi Shastri — are adamant to play the wait-and-watch game, and assess Dhawan's condition after 10 to 12 days.
As Team India prepares for its most-awaited World Cup battle with arch-rivals Pakistan on Sunday, the fissures between the team management and selection panel over an injured Shikhar Dhawan's place in the squad could not have come at a worse time.
DNA has learnt that all the three selectors – chairman MSK Prasad, Sarandeep Singh and Devang Gandhi – believed that keeping Rishabh Pant, who has only joined the team to replace Dhawan, waiting over the next 10-12 days may be of no use as the key games against Pakistan and England would be over by then.
According to a source in the team, the selectors felt Dhawan will not recover, from the thumb injury incurred last Sunday, in time to play the crucial matches. However, the team management — comprising skipper Virat Kohli and head coach Ravi Shastri — are adamant to play the wait-and-watch game, and assess Dhawan's condition after 10 to 12 days.
"Shikhar is not able to hold his bat properly so far," said a source on Friday, adding, "It is not just about the time needed to set his thumb right, but also about him being fit enough to play an international match. Sometimes, rehabilitation takes more time than an injury healing."
The tussle cropped up when the three selectors present in the UK wanted the injured India opener to be replaced right away by Pant. Dhawan would then be ruled out of the tournament and have to return home.
But, it is said the team management was not even keen on calling a replacement, evident from assistant coach Sanjay Bangar's press conference on Thursday where he said that "around the 10th or 12th day, we'll get to know where he (Dhawan) stands, and we'll be in a better position to take a call because we don't want to rule out a precious player like Shikhar."
The selectors argue that if Dhawan is later ruled out, where would that leave Pant? "Aren't we putting unnecessary pressure on Pant to find form immediately if he is called in late?" the source said. "It will certainly not help the team's cause."
However, the team management's will prevailed and it was decided that Vijay Shankar or Dinesh Karthik will fill the hole in the middle after shifting KL Rahul in Dhawan's place, to the top of the order.
Waiting For Thumbs Up
- The selectors feel that Shikhar Dhawan will not be able to recover in time for crucial matches with England and Pakistan
- If called in at the last minute, it would put too much pressure on Rishabh Pant to perform
- Skipper Kohli and head coach Shastri, however, are adamant that they wait and watch
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 "Shikhar Dhawan")
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