It was in the 2013 Champions Trophy in England that Shikhar Dhawan heralded his arrival on the international scene. Riding on the superlative form of the mercurial left-handed opener, India went on the win the trophy
Shikhar Dhawan
India's Shikhar Dhawan acknowledges the cheers from the crowd on reaching his century against Sri Lanka at The Oval in London yesterday. Pic/Bipin Patel
It was in the 2013 Champions Trophy in England that Shikhar Dhawan heralded his arrival on the international scene. Riding on the superlative form of the mercurial left-handed opener, India went on the win the trophy. He struck centuries in the first two games - 114 against South Africa at Cardiff and 102 not out against West Indies at the Oval. He rounded it up with 48 vs Pakistan, 68 in the semi-final vs Sri Lanka and 31 in the final against England. His consistent performances ensured India always had a head start.
Despite early success, Dhawan has had a chequered career, losing his place in the team on a couple of occasions, but bounced back to prove his detractors wrong. Dhawan had had a miserable run (2, 1, 8, 38) in the tri-Series in Australia, just before the 2015 World Cup. But came the big event and he struck form with 73 in the opening game at Adelaide against Pakistan before being unfortunately run out. Then, at Melbourne against South Africa, he played a memorable knock of 137. He had another ton against Ireland and in general gave India the usual starts, till India fell to their nemesis Australia in the semi-finals.
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Dhawan has once again made a gallant start in the Champions Trophy. Following his 68 against Pakistan at Edgbaston, was a masterly 125 at the Oval 125 against Sri Lankans here yesterday but his innings went in vain. If the Delhi southpaw continues in the same manner, India will be favourites to retain the trophy.
Dhawan is blessed with splendid temperament and tends to take the good and bad patches in his stride. However, there is no denying his desire to score runs on the big stage.
"The hunger for runs is always there irrespective of whether I'm scoring them or not," he said. It's natural that the desire to score increases when there is a dearth. At those times, it is important to be patient and stay calm. You've got to believe in yourself that you will get back among the runs.
"When I walk out to bat, I never think that today is my day. Over the past few years in international cricket, I have only made sure that I concentrate on the process, rather than thinking about the result. I have learnt a lot from my struggles over a period and I have treated my successes and failures equally. When things don't go your way, it bites you from within and you have to find a way to get out of it. Those failures have made me stronger and I believe I know my game a lot better now."
Dhawan said that he hasn't made any drastic changes to his game for playing in English conditions. "There are only minor technical issues that I have adjusted and those changes have yielded results. I am getting more time in the middle and my shot selection is becoming a lot better and I am able to play the swing well," he said.
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