My debut innings was more like this one: Shikhar

GALLE: Had things stayed according to Shikhar Dhawan’s original plans, he would have been holidaying with his family in Melbourne rather than playing in the opening Test against Sri Lanka which started at Gal leon Wednesday. After the Indian opener plundered 190 runs at a strike rate of 113 plus. The Sri Lanka bowlers would surely have preferred that. Dhawan was not part of the original squad and was lucky to get a double break against Sri Lanka. He was a replacement in the squad for Murali Vijay and then got into the playing eleven when KL Rahul reported ill at the last minute. “My plans were to go to Melbourne and spend time with my family, do training and get fit for the one-day series. I was in Hong Kong actually on holiday, and from there I flew back to India and joined the team. I think destiny had a different plan for me. I am happy and I am thankful to God ,” said D haw an after a fruitful day for India.

LIKE OLD TIMES

Dhawan’s career-best knock helped the team reach 399 for three. The ease with which Dhawan batted against the Sri Lan kan bowlers showed he was enjoying the conditions. After adding hundred runs in a session, post lunch a double hundred was there for the taking. But Dhawan perished playing a loose shot. He admitted he was disappointed, more so for getting out at the wrong time – the last over before tea.

“Of course, I was disappointed I got out for 190, I would have loved to have scored a 200. More than that, I got out at the wrong time. But the way I was playing, I was confident I could clear the mid-off fielder and I was almost hitting a boundary per over. I was in that zone and I backed myself. Unfortunately, it didn’t go my way.

“A bit disappointed that I couldn’t score 200 but happy and thankful to God I scored 190.”

The way he dominated the bowling, similarities are being made with his 187 on debut against Australia at Mohali in 2013. Dhawan rated the knock as his most fluent since debut.

“My debut innings was more like this one. Even against Bangladesh, I scored a quick hundred but this was a bit more better than the Bangladesh one,” Dhawan said about his fifth Test hundred. His fourth hundred had also come at Galle, in 2015.

STAYING CHEERFUL

He said: “I am scoring runs over here, so that is a special thing for me.” The innings has come as a huge relief for the Delhi cricketer. Hewas going through alean patch in Test cricket and was out of the team since October 2016, missing 11 Tests in that period. How did he cope? “Of course, I felt pressure at that moment (when going through the lean patch). And when I got out of the Test side, it hurt me. But I moved on and started playing domestic cricket, for Delhi. I don’t like to be sad all the time. I like to be happy and so I was enjoying myself over there. I knew if things have to come, they will come my way. I don’t want to run around things too much. I knew if it has to come, it will come.”