Shikhar Dhawan's real test will be against Dale Steyn on South African wickets: Mohammad Azharuddin
Playing for India A, the left-handed Indian opener slammed 248 off 150 balls in a must-win List A game against South Africa A in Pretoria on Monday. Dhawan overtook Virender Sehwag's 219 in an ODI against West Indies in 2011 to register the highest List A score by an Indian
- NDTVSports
- Updated: August 13, 2013 03:27 PM IST
Former Indian captain Mohammad Azharuddin says he is impressed by Indian cricket's newest batting sensation Shikhar Dhawan but his real test will be against South Africa at the end of the year.
"Shikhar's real test will be against Dale Steyn in South Africa. He is a good player to watch as he has a high-on-handle stance. A lot like Allan Lamb or Mark Waugh -- the players of our generation", Azhar said.
On Monday,Dhawan smashed his way to the record books with a breathtaking 248-run knock to help India A register a 39-run victory over a fighting South Africa 'A' and also a place in Wednesday's final in Pretoria. India will play Australia 'A'.
Dhawan toppled quite a few batting records in his 150-ball knock. He overtook Virender Sehwag's 219 in an ODI against West Indies in 2011 to register the highest List A score by an Indian. (Related read: Shikhar Dhawan says Sachin, Sehwag double tons better than his)
"He is a compulsive puller but I saw a tendency of his to recede back to short balls during Champions Trophy in England. He should sort that out before Steyn and (Morne) Morkel come calling," observed Azhar, who has over 6000 runs in Test matches. (Dhawan butchered us, says South Africa 'A' captain Ontong)
After the tri-series, India 'A' will play two unofficial Tests against South Africa 'A' from August 17. This short tour will help Indian team's key players like Cheteshwar Pujara, Dhawan, Murali Vijay, Suresh Raina and Rohit Sharma get acclimatised to the South African conditions before their full tour in November.
India and South Africa are scheduled to play two T20Is, seven ODIs and three Tests over a period of two months starting from November 21. The full schedule is yet to be confirmed.
Azharuddin also believes youngsters like Virat Kohli, Pujara and Rohit will shoulder the burden of Indian batting in coming days.
"I like those players who are always looking ways to score. Virat and Pujara, may be different in their approach but have quality. Rohit disappointed me slightly as I have huge expectations from him. He is phenomenally talented and I have not seen anyone with so much time to play his shots. They will shoulder the burden of Indian batting for minimum next 7-8 years," Azhar said.
With inputs from PTI