Three players competing for two spots is not a problem with Shikhar Dhawan
Indian opener Shikhar Dhawan will have to fight it out for his place in the playing XI in the upcoming series against New Zealand with the inform KL Rahul and solid Murali Vijay also in the fray. Dhawan said that the competition is “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. Rahul has done well in the recent past -- not only in the Test matches but also in T20 cricket," Dhawan told reporters after the Duleep Trophy final.
Dhawan said though it is disappointing to get dropped from the playing XI but it also serves as a motivation for a strong comeback. Dhawan was dropped from the fourth Test against West Indies at Port-of-Spain after consistent failures in the longest format of the game.
Also read:10 Indian cricketers who earn the most from the game
"I definitely feel sad but that only act as a motivation. When I was out of India's T20 team, I did feel sad but at the same time got tremendous motivation within myself to do well and come back in the team," Dhawan said.
The southpaw also believes that the series against New Zealand which is scheduled to begin on September 22 in Kanpur could be dominated by spinners.
"New Zealand have some good players like their captain (Kane) Williamson and (Tim) Southee. They can make an impact in the series. At the same time, it could be a spinning track in the series. They have Mitchell Santner in the side, who bowled well in the World T20, is also there," Dhawan said.
Dhawan praised his head coach Anil Kumble for his aggressive approach that has also helped the players in a positive way.
"I feel good to work with Kumble bhai. He is a well-read person and a dedicated coach. I also like his aggressive approach to the game," said the destructive left-hander.
Also read:Lokesh Rahul: India's key player for the home season
The Delhi lad was also reluctant and non-committal on the future of pink ball Tests.
"It is too early to comment on pink ball cricket under lights. You can look at it from different perspectives. We (India Red) could not play well here (Duleep Trophy final). We batted poorly. On the other hand, they (India Blue) did wonderfully well with both bat and the ball. So, there are two sides of it.
"I don't want to form an opinion too early. Let there be 5-10 matches and some more tournaments with the pink ball. Then we will know where it stands," concluded Dhawan.