One bad day in office: Shikhar Dhawan on India's crushing loss vs Australia in Mumbai
India vs Australia: Shikhar Dhawan, who top-scored for India in Mumbai on Tuesday with 74 runs, conceded that it was the middle-order collapse which changed the game heavily in favour of the visitors, ultimately costing the hosts.
In Short
- We handled those first 10-15 overs very nicely: Shikhar Dhawan
- We played really well against West Indies: Dhawan
- India succumbed to a 10-wicket loss vs Australia in Mumbai on Tuesday
Opener Shikhar Dhawan on Tuesday said the loss of four quick wickets in the middle overs was the main reason behind India's crushing 10-wicket loss to Australia in the first ODI here.
"We handled those first 10-15 overs very nicely. As I said that where we lost four wickets in a go, that is where the game changed for us, then we were behind the game and then we were trying to cover it, so that is where we went wrong," said Dhawan, who made a dogged 74 off 91 balls at the Wankhede Stadium.
Dhawan hit a half-century before Australia pulled things back to bowl India out for 255 and then, unbeaten centuries by openers David Warner (128 not out) and Aaron Finch (110) helped them overhaul the target in just 37.4 overs.
India lost five quick wickets after Dhawan and KL Rahul (47) had rallied the innings with their 121-run stand for the second wicket.
Asked whether the Indian batting was too dependent on him, Kohli and Rohit, Dhawan said, "See it is just one bad day in office. We played really well against West Indies, there all the batsmen did well.
"Shreyas (Iyer) has been doing so well and he is a young lad, one-odd innings is going to go here and there, but we as a team back each other and we don't focus or put too much on one loss"
"They played really well, we were bit unlucky as top-edges went here and there and not in the hands (of the fielders)," he said.
Dhawan says he is ready to bat anywhere after skipper Virat Kohli's move to drop himself down at No. 4 to accommodate him and KL Rahul backfired in the first ODI against Australia.
"If they ask me to bat at No.3, of course I'll do it. Anything for my country, for sure," Dhawan said after the game in which K L Rahul came in at the critical position.
"You have to be mentally strong, all the boys are mentally strong, that's why they've been playing international cricket and it's part of the journey, sometimes you've to switch numbers as well."
The senior player said it was completely the captain's decision to drop himself down at No.4 from his usual No.3 slot.
"See that is a captain's choice, KL is batting well, he did well in the last series and he played really well and he played well today.
"I feel it is the captain's choice where he wants to play and he has done amazing at No. 3, maybe I feel, he will think about it to go at number three again," he said.