IND vs SA: Shikhar Dhawan Is One Of The Very Unique Batters I Have Seen: Sanjay Manjrekar

Cricketer-turned-commentator Sanjay Manjrekar said Indian opener Shikhar Dhawan is a unique batter.

Dhawan, who played for India after a gap of five months, returned with an exuberant 84-ball 79 runs in a game that India lost by 31 runs to South Africa on Wednesday.

Shikhar Dhawan scores 79 against South Africa in first ODI

Dhawan looked fresh and played some excellent array of strokes to set India’s foundation for the chase in his 92-run stay with Virat Kohli for the second wicket.

Dhawan pulled South Africa’s debutant, Marco Jansen, for a boundary before he played a crafty cut against the same bowler.

Dhawan smashed five of his 10 boundaries against Jansen before he was bowled by Keshav Maharaj to end his wonderful innings in the 26th over.

Shikhar Dhawan played a fantastic inning: Sanjay Manjrekar

Manjrekar hailed Dhawan’s knock by calling it a fantastic inning and was impressed by the batter taking on Jansen in the early overs.

“I’ve always been a huge fan of Shikhar Dhawan… He’s one of the very unique batters I’ve seen who’s gotten better in the last three-four years of his career and that’s on the wrong side of 30… After a long gap, he came in and played superbly. I thought it was a fantastic inning,” said Manjrekar.

“I loved the way he took on Marco Jansen, the spinners as well. He looked the part and that’s been Shikhar Dhawan’s story in white-ball cricket in the last two to three years. His IPL game has also changed considerably. Only when he’s there fielding in the deep, you get the realization that this guy’s not getting any younger but when you see him bat – brilliant,” the former cricketer added.

After Dhawan’s wicket, India’s batting order stumbled from 138 for one to 188 for six in 36 overs.

South Africa stormed back into the game after getting the crucial wicket of Dhawan and their bowlers Lungi Ngidi (2/64), Tabraiz Shamsi (2/52) and Andile Phehlukwayo (2/62) ran through India’s middle-order.

Also Read: IND vs SA: Watch – Keshav Maharaj Castles Shikhar Dhawan In The 1st ODI