Slow footwork responsible for Dhawan's slump, says Gavaskar

Shikhar Dhawan's slump in form is primarily due to his slow footwork, says former batting icon Sunil Gavaskar, adding the Delhi left-hander's tendency to get out cheaply in consecutive matches is why his failures get highlighted.

Asked if there is pressure on India’s opening batsman to perform, Gavaskar told NDTV: "He is constantly under pressure to perform. The problem is when Dhawan fails, he fails in 4-5 matches and people forget the runs that he has scored. He has nine centuries and around 17 scores of over 50 in limited-overs’ cricket.

"He has been successful in every three-and-half innings, which is very acceptable. But when he fails, he fails in 4-5 innings. What I saw in the IPL, I found his feet are moving a bit slow. I would suggest he does a fair bit of skipping and it would certainly help."

Gavaskar praised India discard Gautam Gambhir, who is currently atop the IPL’s leading scorers' list with 192 runs, saying he can still make a comeback to the Indian team.

"You should never give up. What's the point of playing in Ranji Trophy and IPL if you don't feel that you are still good enough to play for India. It is good to see him (Gambhir) perform."

The legendary opener feels the Kolkata Knight Riders’ skipper must have worked hard on his footwork which had troubled him earlier.

"He must have worked hard as he has had a bit of footwork problems earlier," he said.

- Coverage: IPL 9