The Indian cricket team’s ODI and T20 squads picked for the limited-overs fixtures against Australia down under have come as a breath of fresh air. Not only has it seen the arrival of several fresh legs, it has also given a message that the doors to the national side are open for everyone who deserves it, with age being just another stat.
A 25-year old all-rounder from Himachal Pradesh, who had started his career as a top-order batsman, is now the second highest wicket-taker for the state. Rishi Dhawan’s rise through the ladders of domestic cricket has finally paid dividends, and the youngster could be expected to don the India jersey, and lay his claims for the much sought after spot of an all-rounder in the team.
Only behind Vikramjit Malik as Himachal's second highest wicket-taker, Dhawan has been the highest wicket-taker for the side in the past two Ranji seasons. With the bat, his recent exploits in the quadrangular series for India A in Australia have been doing the rounds, most noticeably, his 55 ball 56 in the series final where he shared an unbeaten stand with Axar Patel to take India through to a series victory.
Dhawan wants to repeat such a feat for the senior side now. "It's a great feeling to be a part of the Indian squad. I feel my performances in the domestic circuit have been recognized. I will try my best to justify my selection. International cricket is the toughest test, but I feel I am better prepared now," Dhawan told TOI.
Have scored runs and taken wickets in different conditions: Dhawan
With India experiencing severe drought when it comes to genuine all-rounders, with too many having appeared on the scenes, but none lasting for long, Dhawan is confident that he could just be India’s next find.
"I consider myself to be a genuine all-rounder. I have batted at the top in junior cricket and this season I have started batting in the middle-order, which gives me more opportunities to prove my credentials with the bat," Dhawan said.
He averages 40 with the bat in First Class cricket and just under 40 in List A cricket. The strike-rate of almost 95 does wonders to his abilities with the bat, while with the ball, he averages 31 in List A and has a First Class average of 25.79.
The medium-pacer has often been criticized for taking wickets only in helpful conditions, but those comments don’t seem to have an effect on him. "I don't play all the matches there. You only get to play half of your matches at your home ground.”
“See, my job is to perform. I have bowled in all kinds of conditions in India and have taken wickets. I have also scored runs in different conditions," he said.
Learnt a lot from legends in the IPL: Dhawan
Two stints in the IPL with the Mumbai Indians and the Kings XI Punjab have also added to his expertise as a limited-overs cricketer. "IPL is a great platform if you want to learn and improve your game. You get to learn so many things from the legends of the game.”
“When I was in MI, Sachin Paaji always told me to concentrate equally on both bowling and batting. Even in Kings XI Punjab, I have worked hard on my game with Sanjay (Bangar) sir.”
“To watch players like Virender Sehwag, Ricky Ponting, Mitchell Johnson prepare for the game is a great experience. Hopefully, those things will help me when I play for my country," he said.
Apart from Dhawan, other new faces in the ODI squad include Brainder Sran, a 23-year old left-arm quick from Punjab, and Manish Pandey, who has been knocking on the team’s door since the U-19 World Cup of 2008, but had never been given enough chances.
In the T20 side, Yuvraj Singh and Ashish Nehra have returned amongst the veterans, while hard-hitting MI batsman Hardik Pandya has been rewarded for his fearless batting.
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