Published: Dec 26, 2015, 01:40 PM (IST)
Edited: Dec 26, 2015, 05:22 PM (IST)
Right since his magnificent 187 on his Test debut, Shikhar Dhawan has been an integral part of India’s batting. He was one of the stars in India’s triumph in Champions Trophy 2013 and also had a brilliant World Cup 2015 campaign. However the southpaw’s form has hit a slump off late. It is a part of sportsperson’s career. He is a part of India’s side for the tour of Australia and his role will be pretty crucial.
Dhawan has a philosophical world of his own where he analyses his best and worst, joy and pain, anger and composure. In an interview with The Hindu, Dhawan said, “When I get angry I used to speed on my bike. Slowly I realised the necessity to control my thoughts and anger. I don’t react to unpleasant gestures anymore. I have practised this art of remaining calm.
“I have learnt to be thick skinned if I have to excel at the crease. I have to let negative energy bounce off. It is true that cricket teaches you tolerance. I have learnt it.”
Speaking of his mantra of a long career, Dhawan added, “Long career can be possible only with strong body and I concentrate on personal training, proper nutrition, meditation and look for inspirational quotes. At the crease deep breathing helps me tackle pressure.”
He ended the interview on a philosophical note, “I criticise myself, appreciate myself; I am my best friend. I love cricket, but then I have learnt that one can be in love and still be detached. If I am dropped from the India team I can’t allow it to bring me down. It will hurt big time but then there is life outside cricket too.”
Earlier in the interview, Dhawan also spoke about his Test captain Virat Kohli with whom he shares a wonderful camaraderie. “I admire Virat for his self belief and amazing fitness. We look up to him. He is so grounded despite fame and success,” said Dhawan.
Speaking about his own batting he said that the end result of a shot is the remuneration of it. He also spoke about his risk-taking abilities, which is often viewed as reckless. Defending his limited-overs opening partner Rohit Sharma, who is often criticised for throwing his wicket way, Dhawan said, ““I like to make an impact with aggression. Rohit and I approach the task in a similar manner. But people say we appear lazy. We are not casual and certainly not reckless.”
