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India vs Sri lanka: Shikhar Dhawan, reclaiming his peak

India opener has been through so many ups and downs that he is only focussed on processes

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Shikhar Dhawan
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The purple patch that Shikhar Dhawan is in at the moment isn't new to the Delhi left-handed batsman. And, he doesn't shy away from the dark reality of going through a rough period too.

Life seems to have come a full circle for the opening batsman. From thinking about quitting the game once before becoming a batting sensation in 2013 post-Virender Sehwag era and again now, Dhawan has seen many ups and downs over the last four years.

His dominance in Sri Lank is a rebirth of a kind for someone who, till not many months ago, was struggling for a place in the Indian team due to form and inconsistency.

Dhawan extended his Test performances to the ODIs too with a match-winning 132 not out in Dambulla that gave India a 1-0 lead in the five-match ODI series against Sri Lanka on Sunday night.

Talking about his current phase, Dhawan said he would like to continue in the same way. "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," Dhawan said after India's nine-wicket win. "Failure teaches you a lot and I am lucky I have learnt so much out of that," he added.

Dhawan is someone who enjoys his life to the fullest. He doesn't take success and failures to his heart, and remains in the present that gives him the confidence. Even the slump that he went through in recent times has made him acknowledge it.

"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 focussing on my processes. And when I am doing well, I am still focussing on my processes. So those things don't bother me that much," he said.

Dhawan has been fluent with his batting in Sri Lanka, having cracked three centuries in five innings so far (two in Tests and one in ODIs so far). He compared his top form with the one following his Test debut against Australia in 2013.

"When I made a comeback to the ODI side in 2013 Champions Trophy, I was batting this fluently. Even in recent Champions Trophy (2017), I was playing in that flow. I would say that I even played like this in my debut Test match against Australia, or like I played in Galle in the first Test here. I am playing quite similarly to those times. I am trying to keep repeating the same mantra for myself," he said.

The 31-year-old southpaw wants to be on par with his teammates as far as fitness is concerned.

"I like to keep myself fit with the pace of the game. Apart from that, I don't really have too many goals that I have to score these many runs. I just focus on my process including my fitness, skills and fielding," he said.

Talking about his Sunday's knock and his unbeaten partnership of 197 for the second wicket with captain Virat Kohli, Dhawan said: "I really didn't think about the pitch. I was just watching the ball and playing the ball. And I felt that the pitch was very good, the way Sri Lanka started the innings. I thought they will score 300 runs but they lost a lot of wickets in the middle and we dominated the game," said Dhawan.

Dhawan in last 6 ODIs against Lanka:

132*, 125, 91, 79, 113, 94

Did you know?

Shikhar Dhawan's 71-ball ton on Sunday was his fastest ever in ODIs with his previous best coming in 73 balls

2

No. of centuries Dhawan has scored in ODIs in 2017, both coming against Sri Lanka

Dhawan in Lanka so far

1st Test: 190 & 14
2nd Test: 35
3rd Test: 119,
1st ODI: 132*

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