It's a big day for bindaas Shikhar Dhawan

Sporting tattoos and twirling his moustache, Shikhar Dhawan hardly gives an impression of a player who is going to make his Test debut. Dhawan may have had two nights of sound sleep, having been asked to get ready well in advance by the captain and the coach.

What a God-given opportunity for this 27-year-old! A chance against the struggling Australians has made his smile broader than ever.

Known for being bindaas (carefree), Dhawan can finally claim that he too is a Test player.
Having made his first-class debut in 2004, he has been around for almost a decade, seeing his Delhi teammates scale the ladder.

It’s been a long wait for him but patience and hard work have paid off. He has been included to replace Virender Sehwag, whom he has watched and idolised. “I was talking to Viru paaji during the course of last two Tests. I did ask him about his batting average (which is about 50), and he just told me to concentrate on my strengths and not bother about anything else,” Dhawan said.

There are butterflies in his stomach like any other debutant. “There will be nerves but then my job is to give 100 per cent in the middle and I will do that,” he added.

Dhawan’s change of fortune has not happened easily. His 833 runs in the current domestic season has helped him reach this far. His Duleep Trophy performance — 309 runs in two games — was confirmation, if one was needed, that he has turned a new page in his career.

In Dhawan’s own words, this was his “most prolific season”. Soon after he was included in the Test squad, he told DNA about his “maturity”. “I was always playing well but with maturity and age I am now more consistent than ever,” he said.

Marriage, too, has played its part. Known for his carefree approach, Dhawan admits he still plays freely but “sensibly”.

In a domestic Ranji game against Maharashtra last season, Delhi were set a target of 270 in the last innings. And this at a venue where the highest last innings chase until then was only 160. Dhawan single-handedly took his team to victory by hitting a masterful 116.

“In the first year in domestic cricket, not many opponents will know your game. By the time you are into the third or fourth year, the opponents would have found out your strengths and weaknesses and they will work on it. Bowlers will test your patience. The real challenge is to keep scoring in those circumstances and that comes with experience,” said Dhawan. Well, the day has arrived for this bindaas player to make his talent count.

@shekharluthra