JOIN USAfter making a sensational start to his international cricket last year, the rapid march of Shikhar Dhawan was abruptly halted. The England summer proved to be a nightmare for the left-handed Delhi opener who had scored prolifically on the subcontinent pitches. He, however, believes in taking success and failure in equal measures.
“For me, the England tour was a very big learning process. I have always enjoyed both success and failure. If you ask me, If I don’t know failure, I won’t know the taste of success. I am feeling better day by day. If I failed in those six innings, it probably will give me 50 good innings,” said Dhawan.
Dhawan, who scored 68 in Kochi, said he enjoyed the full support of everyone around him, including captain MS Dhoni. “Everyone supported me during the lean patch. All the support staff backed me to play my natural game. It's very important for a player to have his captain's backing during a lean patch. He (Dhoni) has been the captain of India for many years and knows the requirement of a player. We are lucky to have a captain like him,” he said. Dhawan said he was comfortable in the company of his new opening partner Ajinkya Rahane.
“Ajinkya is in great form and he is timing the ball really well. It helps that he is also an aggressive batsman. You don’t get the pressure when runs are coming from both the ends. It is good thing for us as well as the team.”
The match would be special for Dhawan as this would be the first time he would feature in an international match at his home ground. “I am very happy to finally play at home. I was just telling about this to my friends yesterday. I have been playing here for last 7-8 years in Ranji Trophy but not in an international match. It has been a dream and a good feeling,” he smiled.