For the last three-four years, Shikhar Dhawan has been an integral part of the Indian team across formats.
He had scored heavily in all the three formats and had truly cemented his place in the playing eleven. However, an indifferent outing with the bat in 2016 saw him losing his regular place in the team.The dashing batsman struggled throughout the last year to score consistently and paid the price for it, as KL Rahul went ahead of him in the pecking order.
He was not a part of the team for most matches of the mammoth home season before a good performance in the Indian Premier League led to recall and he has not looked back since then.
After finishing the Champions Trophy as its highest run-scorer, the southpaw was adjudged the Man of the Series for his performance in the Test series in Sri Lanka, and he has started the five-match ODI series against the Islanders in a similar manner.
The swashbuckling opener hammered 132 off just 90 balls with the help of 20 fours, and seven sixes, as India chased down 217 inside 29 overs the first ODI at Dambulla on Sunday (August 20).
Speaking at the post-match conference, the left-handed batsman said he would like to perform consistently to have his place safe in the playing eleven.
“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 place,” said Dhawan.“I embrace that period also. When I was not doing well, I was just focusing on my processes. And when I am doing well, I am still focusing on my processes. I feel failure teaches you a lot and I am lucky I have learnt so much out of that.”
Before the first ODI, the likes of MSK Prasad, Virat Kohli and Ravi Shastri had made it clear that fitness should be of utmost priority if the player wants to play in the team and Dhawan too insisted that he would like to keep his ‘fitness on a high level’.
“I would like to keep my fitness on a high level because all the young boys are there (in the Indian side). I like to keep myself fit (and be) at the pace of the game. I don’t really have too many goals that I have to score these many runs. I just focus on my process and in my process everything comes in. My fitness, skills, fielding. These are my process and I keep doing it,” he said.
“It is very important that everyone should be at the same level of fitness. Fielding is a major part in all three formats. One loose fielding can change the momentum and in today’s cricket you have to be fit. Now it is very high-paced cricket and you have to be fit. It’s a very fair thing. If you are not fit then I think the team has to take that load and it’s not fair on the team. Every cricket team like Australia, England, etc. they all have fitness parameters. So it’s good that we are doing it and becoming more professional,” he added.
Dhawan proceeds by delivering some encouraging words to the under-fire Sri Lankan players.
“This is a young 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 that’s what I feel,” he said.
When asked if this was the worst Sri Lankan attack he has faced in his career, Dhawan said:
“I don’t use those harsh words. They have a good fast-bowling attack. Even in the Champions Trophy, they 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 matters a lot with experience. So I feel that with time Sri Lankan team will do good.”