JOIN USNot too long ago when Shikhar Dhawan picked up one failure after another across Australia, he appeared forlorn. He rarely smiled during nets, and sometimes, stood aloof watching from the sidelines even as his team-mates went through their paces.
After two meaty innings in the World Cup, however, the southpaw seems to have regained his swagger. He appears a lot more relaxed and he seems to be enjoying practice sessions a lot more than he did during the Test and the tri-series.
“I was staying calm, working hard and keeping my work ethics strong,” said Dhawan as he spoke to the media on Friday about his dwindling fortunes. “Of course, it's always a learning thing. I enjoy the journey rather than the destination, I think. So I was enjoying that phase of my life too, and I learned a lot. I changed a few things, but not any major things, just little things. Maybe you won't be able to see, it's that little bit something. Yeah, I was just enjoying the tour,” he remarked.
The opener admitted he is feeling more confident about himself after the two big innings, including a century. “Of course, when you play back-to-back good innings, you get that extra, you can say confidence or edge, when you go in to the third innings. I feel it's a very normal thing. Whenever a batsman is going to start his innings, he always feels that thing (a little tense). That's a very natural thing. I feel it all the time.”
Having struggled to cope with the bounce and swing on these pitches, Dhawan felt he has gotten used to the conditions better now. “You can say that I've gotten used to the bounce finally (laughing),” he noted. “And, yeah, I always have lots of shots and I enjoy playing my shots. So whenever I get a chance, whenever I get loose deliveries, I go for my shots. It's good to see it's going the way I want and I'm enjoying it,” he said.
Team director Ravi Shastri backed Dhawan to come good and his backing, Dhawan said, was of immense help. “Of course, Ravi bhai’s presence is very big in our side,” he began. “He’s always given me lots of confidence, positivity, especially when I needed it. My team also has stood by me really strongly and I am really thankful to my team-mates and my support staff. I'm scoring runs because of my teammates and my support staff supported me a lot,” he pointed out.