With an average of 105 from two innings at the World Cup, Shikhar Dhawan knows that runs are no longer the rare commodity they were a month ago. There’s a good chance that when he faces the UAE here on Saturday, he will build on those numbers.
“When you play back-to-back good innings, you get that extra confidence going into the next one,” Dhawan said here on Friday.
“We’re going to approach this match the same way. We’ve had a few off days to relax. We’ll play this game the way it has to be played, with the same intensity.
“Our first two games were against very big sides; we want to carry that momentum forward.”
Dhawan had struggled in the Test series against Australia before regaining something resembling form against England at the same ground in the triangular series. “I was staying calm and working hard,” he said of the turnaround.
“It’s always a learning thing. I enjoy the journey rather than the destination. I changed a few little things, nothing major. Maybe you won’t be able to notice it, it’s that little. I was just enjoying the tour.”
Being here for three months had helped him get to grips with conditions, Dhawan felt. “Yeah, you can say that I've gotten used to the bounce finally,” he grinned.
“We’ve played at the WACA recently against England and we know how much bounce to expect. We can use that experience in Saturday’s match. .”
Dhawan hailed the impact of team director Ravi Shastri on his performances. “Ravi bhai’s presence is very big on our side. He’s always given me lots of confidence and positivity, especially when I needed it. My team has stood by me really strongly and I’m really thankful to my teammates and support staff. It’s because of that I’m scoring runs today.”
Dhawan admitted that he knew little about the UAE side. “I haven’t watched their videos yet. So once I go back to the hotel after the practice, I’m going to watch,” he said.
He could hardly be accused, though, of being unprepared.