South Africa vs India 2018: 5 reasons Indian management should choose Rahul over Dhawan

The other numbers

The bulk of Dhawan's runs overseas have come against Sri Lanka

Over the course of these 5 years, Delhi batsman Shikhar Dhawan hasn’t done much to dispel the ever-spoken shortcoming of his - his limitations as an overseas opener.

He averages 45.12 away from home in Tests. While what seems a more than a healthy average, it is a figure that is pure deceptive. Reason being most of these have come against mediocre attacks on dead sub-continental pitches.

The stats reveal how his game may be opened up by quality bowling attacks such as those on show. Dhawan, with his 190 in Galle and 173 in Bangladesh, has managed to rescue his shoddy average as an overseas batsman. Discounting the runs made in Bangladesh and Sri Lanka, Dhawan averages a mere 30.25 in 24 innings. Plenty of opportunities, but nothing substantial to give the hosts something to break their head over.

In light of the above, as fortune (for Rahul) would have it, Dhawan has been ruled out with an injury. In all likelihood he is likely to be fit for the second test and should we go by coach Ravi Shastri's words, he would be the first choice to open.

However, the opportunity of playing the first Test has rightly presented itself for the right hander and he should be more than ready to make good use of it to give the team management something to ponder upon. If given opportunity enough, the series which promises to be humdinger should finally settle the debate - Rahul or Dhawan.