Consistency has always been a problem with Shikhar Dhawan since his first-class debut back in 2004 but after his maiden call-up to the Indian Test squad, the Delhi left-hander is determined not to let this chance go abegging.
After a record opening stand, the visitors falter in the final two sessions of the first day of the Kandy Test.
Shikhar Dhawan's poor technique in testing conditions along with the fitness status of Ishant Sharma and Ravichandran Ashwin will come up for discussion when the selectors pick the Indian team for the two-Test series against the West Indies.
India batting icons Rahul Dravid and VVS Laxman tell Harish Kotian what opener Shikhar Dhawan must do to regain lost form.
His brilliant 73-run knock in the warm-up game against South Africa might have fallen just short of ensuring a win for India, but opener Shikhar Dhawan said the crucial time he had spent at the crease has made him more "wiser" ahead of their ICC World Twenty20 campaign. Chasing a steep 197 for win, Dhawan smashed 73 off 53 balls before retiring but the knock was not enough to take India home as the hosts fell short by four runs at the Wankhede Stadium last night. "As (an) individual, it was a good learning for me as I batted till the 15th-16th over, so with my calculation for the next coming games, I will be more better. It was a good learning for me and I got more wiser," Dhawan told reporters at the post-match conference on Saturday night. Asked why despite having some of the best finishers of the game, India failed to cross the hurdle, the 30-year-old left-hander said, "Certainly, these are normal things. It does not happen that the best finishers will always guarantee you to complete the task. Everyone gave their best and that's what matters. "We were chasing such a big total, and wickets fell early on, after that there was a good partnership and came so close. It was only a matter of two runs. We learnt a lot from this game. What we have learnt, will be implemented in the future."
He will have to fight it out with the in-form KL Rahul and a solid Murali Vijay for one of the opening slots in the playing XI of the Test team but Shikhar Dhawan terms the competition "good for Indian cricket" and finds "nothing wrong with it". "I am aware that there could be three players for two (opening) spots. But there is nothing wrong in it. In fact it is good for Indian cricket. To have healthy competitions among players for places in the team is good for Indian cricket and the game in general.
The first game in the five match T20I series between India and the West Indies will be played at the Brian Lara Stadium in Tarouba, Trinidad, starting 2000 IST.
Since first opening the batting together in January 2023, the duo has been prolific in 50 overs cricket.
India opener Murali Vijay is relieved that his off-the field friendship with KL Rahul and Shikhar Dhawan has helped him deal with sensitive selection matters with ease.
Young wicketkeeper-batsman Rishabh Pant was on Wednesday brought in as standby for the injured Shikhar Dhawan in India's World Cup squad.
With Shikhar Dhawan back in form in the shortest format, the Indian team management and captain Virat Kohli will have the headache of picking from three in-form openers
Vote for the best catches of the Punjab Kings vs Delhi Capitals match.
K L Rahul introduced us to the 'back benchers' of the Indian team posting a picture of Hardik Pandya, Mayank and him occupying the rear seats of the team bus.
Having regained his form with two unbeaten knocks in the league stage of the cricket World Cup, India captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni has gained two spots to be placed eight in the latest ICC batting rankings.
Mumbai Indians, who are placed sixth in the points table, have been able to bounce back impressively with wins against Delhi Capitals, Kolkata Knight Riders and Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Having given ample demonstration of his appetite for notching up big scores, India's batting sensation Shikhar Dhawan on Tuesday said he has become mentally strong, and that his shot selection has got better in the past one year.
A disappointed Rajasthan Royals will have to focus on better execution of their strategies for a swift turnaround when they face a highly inconsistent yet capable Punjab Kings in their Indian Premier League match in Mullanpur on Saturday.
I really like the look of Shikhar Dhawan. He's a talented, aggressive opener, says former Australia captain Ian Chappell.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi attended Indian cricket captain Virat Kohli and Bollywood star Anushka Sharma's wedding reception in New Delhi on Thursday.
On paper, though, PBKS looks a tad more stronger than KKR.
Former selector Sarandeep Singh called Rohit-Dhawan the 'best option' despite skipper Virat Kohli's recent interest in the slot.
Pooran Or De Kock? Dhawan or Pandya? Whose batting topped Saturday's contest?
21-year-old fast bowler Mayank Yadav announced himself on the biggest stage, the IPL, with a fiery debut for the Lucknow Super Giants.
India opener Shikhar Dhawan, on Tuesday, said the selectors have picked a 'very strong side' for the the ICC World Cup starting May 30 in the United Kingdom.
Fit-again India all-rounder Hardik Pandya is attempting to make his comeback by taking part in the D Y Patil T20 tournament, starting in Mumbai, on Monday. Shikhar Dhawan and Bhuvneshwar Kumar are also on their road to recovery after sustaining injuries.
Two Indian batsmen are now in the top five of the ICC ODI rankings, with Virat Kohli remaining at number three and opener Shikhar Dhawan climbing up the ladder to fifth after earning four places in the latest list issued on Wednesday.
In David Warner's absence, Shikhar Dhawan lead from the front.
Pacer Deepak Chahar made an impressive comeback to international cricket with an incisive spell and openers maintained their consistency as India outclassed Zimbabwe by 10 wickets in the opening One-Day International, in Harare, on Thursday.
Paceman Kane Richardson claimed his maiden five-wicket haul to script India's spectacular collapse and bowl Australia to a 25-run victory in the high-scoring fourth one day international on Wednesday. Three batsmen struck centuries in the 671-run match between the world's top two one-day teams but it was Richardson's (5-68) incisive bowling that clinched the contest, while also earning him the man-of-the-match award. Chasing 349 for victory, India were cruising at 277 for one before losing their last nine wickets for 46 runs to succumb to their fourth successive defeat in the five-match series. Opener Shikhar Dhawan (126) and Virat Kohli (106) featured in a 212-run stand for the visitors before the wheels came off India's chase at Canberra's Manuka Oval.
The Elite list is set to comprise only three players ---skipper Virat Kohli, his limited overs deputy Rohit Sharma and Jasprit Bumrah.
The first One-Day International between India and Sri Lanka witnessed important milestones being set and new records being made.
Who do you think should be part of India's playing XI in the second T20 International against England on Sunday?
'We have learnt a lot of things. Especially when we played in Kolkata (during first Test against SL) and in Dharamsala (first ODI)'
Top India batsman Shikhar Dhawan saw it as a historic day of celebration, while former cricketer Mohammed Kaif reminded the country of its culture of peaceful coexistence as sportspersons reacted to the bhoomi pujan ceremony for a temple of Lord Ram in Ayodhya.
Virat Kohli bagged his fifth player of the match award against Pakistan in ICC tournaments including ODI/T20I World Cups and Champions Trophy -- the most by any player against a single opposition.
KKR pacer Mitchell Starc's underwhelming performance is the worst among the specialist bowlers in IPL 2024.
Opener Ajinkya Rahane and Shikhar Dhawan slammed centuries to help India humiliate Sri Lanka by a huge margin of 169 runs in the first One-Day International in Cuttack, on Sunday.
The wait was a long one - but Sarfaraz Khan made the most of the opportunity handed to him as the Mumbai batter struck a stroke-filled half-century on his Test debut.
A desperate Indian team will pray for a rain-free third and final ODI against New Zealand on Wednesday in its bid to finish on an even keel in a series that neither had context nor any major takeaways.
Former India captain and team director Ravi Shastri said Cheteshwar Pujara, who was not picked up by any of the teams for this year's Indian Premier League, deserves to be compensated handsomely considering his contributions to the Test team's success this home season.
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