The Shikhar Dhawan Debate? Three Experts, Three Opinions

Shikhar Dhawan's poor run has put Team India's batting plans in jeopardy Down Under. Even the pundits are confused. Sunil Gavaskar suggests Ravichandran Ashwin as an opener while Ian Chappell proposes Stuart Binny. You can well imagine skipper MS Dhoni's predicament.

With Rohit Sharma out injured and Dhawan not showing any signs of regaining his lost touch, Mahendra Singh Dhoni has a few headaches ahead of a crunch tie versus England on Friday and the upcoming World Cup, starting February 14.(Dhawan, A Flat-Track Bully Exposed Down Under?)

Dhawan has been virtually surviving due to his past performances. The left-handed opener enjoyed a brilliant outing in the 2013 Champions Trophy in England, scoring back-to-back hundreds that helped him accumulate 363 runs in just five matches at an average of 90.75. He won the man-of-the-tournament award back then, but ever since it has been downhill.

If the tour to Zimbabwe in mid-2013 is taken out, then, in 17 ODI innings in West Indies, South Africa, New Zealand, England and Australia, he has scored only 386 runs at an average 24.12. Should Team India give him a longer rope? Legends Ian Chappell, Sunil Gavaskar and Rahul Dravid have different views.(Dhoni Looking to Play Best XI)

Drop Dhawan, Play Binny: Ian Chappell

In his column for ESPNCricinfo, former Australian skipper Ian Chappell says India should replace out-of-sorts Shikhar Dhawan with Binny. "As Shikhar Dhawan continues to struggle under Australian conditions, perhaps the time is right to open the batting with Binny. He looks technically capable and this would give Dhoni another bowling option, which appears to be a priority," Chappell wrote.

While Binny has never opened the batting for India before, the all-rounder has looked solid in the few chances he has got. In the tied Trent Bridge Test against England in 2014, Binny showcased his temperament with the bat. Binny scored 78 and put on crucial partnerships with Ravindra Jadeja and Bhuvneshwar Kumar to shield India from a collapse.

In the Brisbane ODI against England on January 20, India suffered an abysmal batting collapse. They were bundled out for 153 with Binny being the only batsman who put up a fight for his 44.

Try Ravichandran Ashwin: Gavaskar

Former skipper Sunil Gavaskar reckons India could try the technically-solid Ravichandran Ashwin, if they are to drop Dhawan to the bench. "If India decide to go in without him versus England, it would be a good idea to try Ashwin at the opening slot. He is a well organised batsman and has a good technique against the bouncing and moving ball," Gavaskar wrote in his column for Times of India.

"Shikhar Dhawan's lack of runs has put a severe strain on the Indian batting, especially since it does not look as if Rohit is going to be fit soon. Dhawan continues to open the face of the bat and is getting caught in the slips," he wrote.(How Long Will Dhoni Experiment?)

"Pitch at Perth is going to be pretty similar to the one in Brisbane where the Indian batsmen floundered and so India will have to bat out of their skins to put up a winning score."

Ashwin played only one out of the three ODIs in the series so far. Ashwin scored 14 off 20 balls and returned with figures of 1/54. Dhoni, however, preferred to play Axar Patel as the lone spinner in the next ODI versus England and paired him with Ravindra Jadeja in the washed out match versus Australia.

Believe in Dhawan: Rahul Dravid

Rahul Dravid is one of the few former cricketers who has spoken in support of Dhawan. Dravid felt Dhawan was being unfairly judged on a few poor outings and deserved a longer rope.

"Dhawan's performance in One-day cricket over the last one year has been very good. We're judging him on two-three failures and a tough tour of Australia. We need to be a bit more patient and back him, because he deserves that right. He has earned it with his performances," the 'Wall' said.(Rohit Racing Against Time to be Fit for World Cup)

"Hopefully he'll get a good run. A guy like him in form will be invaluable to India in the business end of the tournament, when the (World Cup) quarters arrive."

"I just hope that playing a few more games, and just getting into stride a big more, playing a different opposition, will get him into the kind of form India needs him to be in at that time," he said.

Dhawan, who has scored just 11 runs in three ODIs in Australia, is in desperate need of a change in fortune. Friday's game against England's potent fast bowling attack on the pacer-friendly track in Perth will be a tough but a good time to kick-start his revival.('Slow and Low Wickets Will Benefit India Down Under')

Can Dhawan break the shackles and defy the likes of Steven Finn and James Anderson? Or will he fail to cope with 'alien' conditions once again? Only time will tell.