‘I Haven't Forgotten How To Bat’

    • TNN
    • Publish Date: Dec 25 2019 12:28PM
    • |
    • Updated Date: Dec 25 2019 12:28PM
‘I Haven't Forgotten How To Bat’

Shikhar Dhawan split his nets session into three parts on Tuesday. He started off by facing the spinners before moving to the throwdown nets. After a short break, he took fresh guard against the pacers.

Dhawan, who has earned a India recall in both the T20 and ODI sides, will be leading a struggling Delhi in Wednesday's Ranji Trophy game against Hyderabad at the Ferozeshah Kotla.

He is, in many ways, going back to the drawing board.

"Jo cheez khelke aagey badha hoon, woh phir se khelne mein achcha hi lagta hain (playing the tournament that helped me evolve as player feels nice)," Dhawan said as he headed back to the dressing room after the practice session. Dhawan's journey from the never-ending rigours of domestic cricket to the dizzy heights of international cricket - and back - has been an eventful one. "Good news is a new year is round the corner and this is a fresh start for me," he said.

At 34, the situation is clear to him. A dip in form and absence from cricket due to 30 stitches on his knee coincided with KL Rahul regaining his touch in white-ball cricket. The selectors have asked him to pad up with Rahul for the T20I series against Sri Lanka in January before throwing Rohit Sharma back in the mix for the subsequent ODI series against Australia. "I am happy that KL has done so well. He has grabbed the opportunity. So I am going to go and express myself," Dhawan said. "Selection is the team management's headache and let them deal with it."

This has been an injury-plagued year for Dhawan. The fractured thumb during the century against Australia early in the World Cup was the biggest disappointment, and niggles and injuries have stayed with him since.

Dhawan, however, is not one for self-pity. "I have never said it has been frustrating. Injuries are nature's gift. I just accept it," he said. "The start-stop thing doesn't affect me. I haven't forgotten how to bat. My class is permanent and I will score runs," Dhawan declared.

In a statement of intent, he said, "I don't shy away from my failures. I know what I need to do to get back to scoring runs. This is an important season. I would like to perform well in the T20Is against Sri Lanka." In typical fashion, though, he immediately lightened the mood, quipping: "Always remember a learning man is an earning man!"

Dhawan has learnt to live with criticism in recent times. For all his success at the international level, he is always a few indifferent knocks away from losing his place. He was phased out of Test cricket a year ago and competition is growing at the top of the order in white-ball cricket.

"Critics do their own job and I don't ever get frustrated by that. If they feel that way, that's their opinion. In my heart I know that I have given my best. But if my best wasn't good enough, it's fine, I accept it," he said. Ironically, he is readying for a white-ball comeback with a four-day match. "I see red-ball cricket as I should be seeing red-ball cricket. Whether I am in Test team or not is immaterial. I know what game I have."

Very few can accuse Dhawan of having a cluttered mind. An 'international star' or not, when he walks out on his beloved Kotla turf in Ranji Trophy after nearly half a decade on Wednesday, Dhawan knows he will be taking fresh guard.


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