Anchors, guides

That Dhawan continues to be part of the plans is a healthy sign as India head into a tough phase where they will be playing two World Cups in the space of a year. Switching formats can be tricky in such a short time and India need their senior batters to not only anchor the innings but also guide the newer batters into initiating and consolidating good starts. Whether Dhawan continues to open remains to be seen once Sharma returns, but his innings on Wednesday again proved he is best suited to start at the top.

“Now Rohit isn’t part of the team. Once he returns, there will be more experience in our batting and our middle-order will also become stronger. Whenever they get a chance here, they will gain experience from here. Even if things don’t work out in a few matches or a few series, it doesn’t matter. We’re looking at the bigger picture,” Dhawan said.

As much as the game has grown, it has also shrunk in terms of time a player can commit to being the best at something. Multi-tasking is quickly becoming a more sought-after ability and somehow India have not kept up with their peers in not winning any ICC event since 2013.

This being the twilight phase of Sharma (34), Dhawan (36) and Kohli (33), the onus is not just on ticking that box but also getting the next generation battle-hardened.

“Our thought process is that we are building a team for the 2023 World Cup,” said Dhawan. “There will be a few hiccups here and there, and that’s fine. As a team, we analyse how we can get better. Now, we have a good clarity that we have got this bunch of boys. It’s about how to refine them.”