Dambulla: Shikhar Dhawan is savouring his purple patch, but the opener has not forgotten the slump which had forced him out of the team, saying failures have taught him important lessons.
Dhawan was dropped after the New Zealand series last year due to a slump in form and came back to the team for the Champions Trophy this year. Since then he has done exceedingly well and he’s keen to continue with his good form.
“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 my place,” he said after helping India register an easy nine-wicket win over Sri Lanka in the first ODI here last night. “Failure teaches you a lot and I am lucky I have learnt so much out of that,” he added.
Talking about the slump in form which he had experienced, Dhawan said, “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 focusing on my processes. And when I am doing well, I am still focusing on my processes. So those things don’t bother me that much,” said Dhawan.
Stat facts
Shikhar Dhawan has got his first man of the match award vs Sri Lanka — his sixth in ODIs
Dhawan enjoys splendid record vs Sri Lanka in ODIs — his tally being 757 in ten matches at an average of 84.11, including three hundreds and four fifties
In the last six innings vs Sri Lanka in ODIs, Dhawan has posted six scores of 50-plus. The sequence of scores being 94, 113, 79, 91, 125 and 132 n o
Dhawan has posted eight centuries away from home out of eleven in ODIs
press trust of India