Shikhar Dhawan's maiden ton may have shut door on Virender Sehwag

NEW DELHI: Shikhar Dhawan's attacking maiden Test ton may have made things difficult for axed opener Virender Sehwag. According to sources, the selection committee is inclined to give Dhawan a longer run in Tests, meaning Sehwag's way back could be hard. Even in the one-day international arena, Dhawan seems to be ahead in the pecking order following Saturday's knock. Sources in the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) said apart from his bad form, Sehwag's attitude on the field was also a big reason why he had to make way for Dhawan. Sources revealed that the initial plan behind dropping Sehwag was to give him a "shock treatment" so he would improve on his shortcomings. "He had one setback after another and his reflexes are also slowing down. Also, he should have played domestic cricket to get used to his new spectacles," a source told TOI. The selectors, it is learnt, even suggested to Sehwag that he should play in the county circuit in England, but the batsman didn't seem interested. A source said: "What is the point of suggesting anything to him when there is no interest on his part to get back to form?" Selectors also felt that Sehwag showed no remorse after dropping catches. "There are occasions when he dropped a catch and started smiling. This is something which has been discussed in selection meetings," a source said, pointing out to the ego clashes between Sehwag and captain Dhoni. Things also look bleak for Gautam Gambhir, who too was dropped from the Test team recently. Gambhir, though, is in the limited-overs scheme of things. "Gambhir is still in the running for ODIs if he can score consistently," a source said.   TOI