India had just one warm-up game ahead of the first Test match of the highly-anticipated five-match Test series and one of the talking points was what the opening combination would be for Edgbaston.
And it’s fair to say, Shikhar Dhawan did not exactly pass that test in flying colours. In the first innings, Matt Coles got the left-hander out for a first-ball duck on a green pitch, when the conditions were best for bowling. In the very first over, the burly right-arm pacer got the ball to move back in from good length and Dhawan ended up getting an inside edge, through to the keeper.
📽️ Matt Coles strikes after just 3 balls as Dhawan is caught behind by Foster#ESSvIND pic.twitter.com/SC9RaitUIi
— Essex Cricket (@EssexCricket) July 25, 2018
Just like the commentator completely messing up Dhawan’s name, the opener didn’t cover himself in glory.
With Essex deciding to declare in the second session of the third and final day, all eyes were once again on Dhawan. India would have loved for the Delhi batsman to get some time out in the middle. Alas, after being beaten by the first two balls all ends up, Dhawan was late on an angled delivery by pacer Matt Quinn, and was beaten once again. This time the ball hit the stumps and he was dismissed for a third-ball duck.
Here's how #Dhawan was dismissed in the second innings... once again on a duck.#ESSvIND
— The Field (@thefield_in) July 27, 2018
Video: Essex Cricketpic.twitter.com/1sQc7RhfJx
Has Dhawan dropped himself from contention for the first Test? Only time will tell. Here’s a poll where you can let us know what you think.
#POLL
— The Field (@thefield_in) July 27, 2018
After Shikhar Dhawan's pair in the warm-up game (1st ball-duck and a 3rd ball-duck) who do you think should partner Vijay in the first #ENGvIND Test? #ESSvIND