Whenever he goes out to bat, Shikhar Dhawan creates a record, be it in Test matches or in One Day Internationals (ODIs). Exaggeration apart, but it must be admitted that the southpaw from Delhi is in terrific form, probably in the form of his life. The attacking batsman played the first match for India against South Africa and stroked his way to his first ever ODI century.

And who needs a mention that it has come with a record against his name. Shikhar Dhawan scored a century on debut against the mighty Australians. That proved that Shikhar wasn’t just about playing the ball in the gaps and playing it safe when he was nearing a milestone.

Let us have a look at how he scored the runs and why he deserves to be the Man of the Series.

FIRST ODI INDIA v SOUTH AFRICA (LEAGUE MATCH)

Shikhar Dhawan: Runs 114; Balls 94; 4s 12; 6s 1.

Shikhar Dhawan notched up his maiden ODI century as India scored a mammoth 331 runs batting first South Africa. It was a fearless knock from an aggressive player whose only aim is to score big and fast.

SECOND ODI INDIA v WEST INDIES (LEAGUE MATCH)

Shikhar Dhawan: Runs 102; Balls 107; 4s 10; 6s 1.

It was the second successive century for Shikhar Dhawan as there was no looking back. It was the offensive that Dhawan launched that helped India win the match. His batting demoralized the opposition for sure.

THIRD ODI INDIA v PAKISTAN (LEAGUE MATCH)

Shikhar Dhawan: Runs 48; Balls 41; 4s 5; 6s 0.

An India-Pakistan match always draws excitement and tempers mostly run high on both sides. However, this match was just a formality. For Shikhar Dhawan however, it was business as usual. It was only the first time in three occasions that he could not reach the 50-run mark.

FOURTH ODI INDIA v SRI LANKA (SEMI-FINAL)

Shikhar Dhawan: Runs 68; Balls 92; 4s 6; 6s 1.

This was probably the slowest innings from the Delhi batsman. But again it came for a cause as India bettered the island nation and fixed a date with the hosts for the finals. It was a careful and watchful knock that showed he can bat slowly if required.

FIFTH ODI INDIA v ENGLAND (FINAL)

Shikhar Dhawan: Runs 31; Balls 24; 4s 2; 6s 1.

31 runs is the lowest score for Shikhar Dhawan in the five matches. But this knock was the most important. This defined the winner of the tourney. It was like a T20 match and India is considered one of the best teams in the format. Coming close on the heels of the IPL, playing a ‘T20’ final wasn’t going to be too tough for Shikhar.

Article Posted By : abhi_bangal  On June 26, 2013lView All Articles

Article Source :

http://www.veethi.com/articles/shikhar-dhawan---the-opener-india-was-looking-for-article-2475.htm

Keywords :
Shikhar Dhawan , Champions Trophy , Champions Trophy Man of the Series