I think opening is the toughest job: Shikhar Dhawan

Indian opener Shikhar Dhawan was under a lot of pressure coming into the first Test against West Indies. He hadn’t scored a half-century in the last 8 innings and questions were raised over his spot in the team. He didn’t have the best of times in the Test series against South Africa and Sri Lanka either.

KL Rahul has always been knocking at the doors with some good knocks. But skipper Virat Kohli was certain he wanted Dhawan and he proved his selection correct with a blistering knock of 84 runs and laid the platform for a big score with a 105-run partnership with the skipper Virat Kohli for the third wicket.

Dhawan after the batting performance said that opening is the toughest job and one needs a big heart for being an opener. “I think opening is the toughest work and you need a big heart for it,” Dhawan said. “New wicket, new ball and they bowl with full energy and as an opener, your technique should also be good because you have to leave a lot of balls and you need patience as well. Middle order needs it [patience] too but new ball has its own challenge. Vijay got a good ball, it was a very quick ball. I was luckier in that sense so Gabriel was bowling really well and with time you get that experience.”

“Now I know better from the past about which balls to leave and that is from experience and it helps improve the game and my shot selection and it showed in the partnership with Pujara and Kohli,” he added.

Also read – West Indies v India, 1st Test Day 1 – 5 Talking Points

The 30-year old feels that the team is in a good position, as they finished the day at 302/4. “We are in a good position especially because we are playing with only five batsmen,” Dhawan said. “So we are in a good position and we will want to bat as long as possible tomorrow, that will also tire them out. The good thing is we have Virat set and batting.”

He lauded Virat for his 12th Test ton. “He has played a tremendous knock and scored a hundred and continued scoring,” Dhawan said.

“Hopefully, he scores big runs and gets a double-hundred after 150. It feels good to bat with him and we were rotating strike and scoring runs at a good pace. I feel that made a difference because we made the partnership in 120 balls or something. That is a good thing and it is always a pleasure to watch Virat, the way he times the ball,” he added.

Also read – West Indies v India 1st Test, Day 1 – Statistical Highlights

The Indian opener also talked about the importance of his partnership with Cheteshwar Pujara, where the duo faced the new ball and added 60 runs for the second wicket after the early dismissal of Murali Vijay. “My partnership with Pujara was also important because the ball was new at that time and it was important to leave the ball at that time,” Dhawan said.

“The middle order got the benefit of that because the ball was older and my partnership with Virat benefitted from that,” Dhawan concluded saying.