Paarl (TIP)-Shikhar Dhawan believes that every lean patch in his career has made him “stronger” but it is his clarity and calmness that has enabled him to ride over rough times. The oldest player in the Indian ODI set-up, there were lots of talks about Dhawan’s poor form in domestic cricket but as it has been with the 36-year-old, he was back with a bang in his favourite blue shirt with a top-score of 79 off 84 balls, albeit in a losing cause in the first ODI against South Africa. “I don’t listen to the media or don’t read newspapers or watch news, that way I don’t take all that information,” Dhawan said when asked how he keeps himself way from negativity.

For him, neither the bad patch has affected him for the first time nor is it going to be the last time but one needs to have the self belief in one’s abilities. “I have full confidence in myself that what my game is and I have clarity on that and I stay quite calm. And this is part of life, this happens in life, everyone’s life has ups and downs, so it is nothing new and happening for the first time or for the last time in my career or my life, so it is all right, that only makes me stronger,” said Dhawan. Dhawan came into the series in the back of a poor run of Hazzare Trophy scores – 0, 12, 14, 18, 12 in five List A games.

But if one carefully looks at Dhawan’s career, just when there has been calls to drop him, he has invariably responded with a big knock like he did in the first ODI, where he looked the best batter in his side.

“These talks (to drop him) always are there and I am used to it and I just know how to give my best and I always make sure that my preparation is quite good and process is good and then I leave it to God.

“….and I know that with my experience and my self-confidence, I’ll do good and I am happy that I did well today,” the flamboyant opener said. His endeavour is to remain fit and healthy for the last part of his career.

“With my experience I’ll keep scoring lots of runs and yeah till the time I keep playing cricket I stay healthy and happy and I score lots of runs,” he said knowing well that he is reaching the business end of his career.