Mohali:
Australia were on course in their chase of 359 in the Mohali ODI against India at the Punjab Cricket Association stadium on Sunday. Peter Handscomb’s maiden century, combined with his 192-run stand for the third wicket with Usman Khawaja had laid the foundation but it was Ashton Turner’s brilliant 84 off 43 balls that helped Australia achieve the highest successful chase by a visiting side in ODIs in India. During the Australian run-chase, the Indian fielders were seen vigorously rubbing the ball with a towel as they looked to keep it dry. The amount of dew that was present on the outfield rendered the spinners ineffective. Shikhar Dhawan, whose 16th century went in vain, admitted that dew was a major factor in their loss.
“We knew the dew had already come. Because of the dew, the ball wasn’t gripping. They played some really good knocks and took the game away from us. If there was no dew, it wouldn’t be possible to play those shots. We expected in the last game that dew is going to be there but that didn’t happen. We didn’t expect that dew would come but it came very heavily. When you put such a big total it is pressure for the other side, not for our bowlers,” Dhawan said.
For Dhawan, the match was bittersweet. India failed to defend 358, a total that was possible only because of the left-hander’s brilliant 16th century. Dhawan, who shot to fame in international cricket with a brilliant 187 on debut against Australia in Mohali in 2013, turned the clock back with some wonderful strokes and he smashed 143, his highest individual score. The knock eased off some of the pressure that Dhawan was facing, having not made a significant score in limited-overs cricket ever since the ODIs in New Zealand.
When asked as to whether he felt the pressure, Dhawan said, “I don’t need information, I live in my own world and where my thoughts are going. I make sure I keep my composure. I know I perform best when I am calm. There is no point cribbing or feel sad. As a batsman, I feel hurt, but I move on quickly, I make sure I stay in my positive mindset and keep doing my process. I cut down the negative thoughts and accept the reality and move on.”
Dhawan will be aiming to give India glory in his homeground of Delhi as both India and Australia aim to win the five-match series which is currently tied 2-2.
