In-Form Shikhar Dhawan Expresses His Credence in Tackling Slump Period

Indian opener Shikhar Dhawan, once lambasted for tumbling with his batting onslaught as an opener for the Indian team, now has seemingly been cruising through his golden era as the same positioned batsman he got previously trolled for. Such a revamp from his end in recent times can easily be substantiated with his unswerving back to back century assessments in the recent ongoing stint as Sri Lankan’s guest. Dhawan, post clobbering the Lankan side with his punishing ton in the first ODI, overtly displayed an confident gesture towards the contingency of embracing another batting downswing in the imminent future. He followed it up with his third century of the tour after the Galle and Pallekelle Tests expressed,”Failure teaches you a lot and I am lucky I have learned so much out of that.”

“I have already had a slump so I don’t think about it. When it has to come it will come. I embrace that period of slump also. When I was not doing well I was just focussing on my processes. And when I am doing well, I am still focussing on my processes. So those things don’t bother me that much,” Dhawan acclaimed at the post-match press conference.

Being dropped from the national team during the New Zealand series might have triggered a heads up towards his batting potential followed by which his come back into the team for the Champions Trophy this year has been entirely a constructive package in all totality. Showing his keen on continuing his magnificent batting blitz for Indian team he put forth two aspects. “It’s a long time (until the next World Cup). I would like to keep performing well. That would be my goal because if I don’t perform there are such great batsmen in our side that anyone can take the place, so that’s one thing.

The second thing is I would like to keep my fitness on a high level because all the young boys are there. I like to keep myself fit at the pace of the game. Apart from that I don’t really too many goals that I have to score these many runs. I just focus on my process including my fitness, skills, and fielding.”

Considering his great form, Dhawan was of the view that he was in similar form during the 2013 Champions Trophy when he specifically scored a majestic maiden Test hundred against Australia. “When I made a comeback in the ODI side in the 2013 Champions Trophy, I was batting this fluently. Even this time in the Champions Trophy (2017), I was playing in that flow. I would say that I even played like this in my debut Test match against Australia, or like I played in Galle in the first Test here. I am playing quite similar to those times. I am trying to keep repeating the same mantra for myself,” he added.

Allowing the Lankan side to throw the initial challenge to Indians, Lanka had miserably failed even after constructing a steady start while they were at 150/2 but post-Axar Patel’s procurement of his best career graph (3-34) so far, Lankan batsmen had again embraced a bad expedition for themselves which reflected a challenge of 217 for Indians. In reciprocal to the same the duo of Dhawan and Kohli who stood for 197 runs for themselves sealed the biggest marginalized victory in 21.1 overs for Indians in terms of total balls remaining.

“I really didn’t think about the pitch. I was just watching the ball and playing the ball. And I felt that the pitch was very good, the way Sri Lanka started the innings. I thought they will score 300 runs but they lost a lot of wickets in the middle and we dominated the game,” added Dhawan.

Sympathising the Lankan side for their shameful defeat against Indians, Dhawan expressed few comfortable words for India’s adversary team. “This is a young Sri Lankan side and they are in a transition period where all the boys will mature. In international cricket, you need to have that experience. The young boys are good but with time they will get better.

Also while being asked if Lankan bowling attack led by oldie legend Lasith Malinga was the poorest he has faced, the opener showing respect towards the legend didn’t back himself for saying any ‘harsh words’ for him. “Malinga has been a legend for Sri Lankan cricket and he has done great in international cricket in all formats. He is a bit old now and with time I feel that his pace has gone down a bit. That’s why we can attack more as batsmen and that’s what we look at. This is natural because he has played so much cricket. It’s just a cycle, life cycle, that’s what I feel,” said the left-handed opener.

“I don’t use those harsh words. I won’t say they are the worst bowling attack I have faced. The left arm bowler (Vishwa Fernando) bowls decent pace. They have a good fast bowling attack. In Champions Trophy, they even beat us. It’s just that we have got a mature side, very experienced side so that plays a huge role because how you handle pressure situations that matter a lot with experience. So I feel that with time Sri Lankan team will do well,” he concluded.