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More than
any Indian batsman perhaps, Shikhar Dhawan sucks good form for all its worth.
Much like bad form sucks Dhawan for all he is worth. By the time Dhawan boarded
his flight back from England, he must have been feeling quite worthless. Though
not quite in a Yograj Singh wishing Dhoni kind of way.
Even though
he had fared better than the other openers till the fourth Test, it was The
Oval that did him in. KL Rahul and Alastair Cook shot ahead, while Dhawan’s footwork
shot him in the legs. Two LBWs in two innings. His post-dismissal, pre-review
chats with KL Rahul lasted longer than his teeny-weeny stints at the crease.
And that is
what most will remember of Shikhar Dhawan from England.
How then
did Dhawan turn it around from 9/11 to 9/18? From London to Dubai? From red
ball to white ball? From out to in? From Sony to Star? Did those ads get to
Dhawan too?
Much as
red-ball Dhawan and white-ball Dhawan are two different beasts, it’s easier
said than done. And a lot had to be said, and even more done, for Dhawan to
pick up the pieces, his two left feet and the outside edge of his bat – and
convince himself that he indeed was worth it.
This would
not have been possible without his ODI opening mate, Rohit Sharma. Who in Virat
Kohli’s absence was there for Dhawan – sometimes far more than necessary.
Flight day
for the Asia Cup saw Dhawan make it earlier than usual to the airport. He
wanted some me-time. With both red-ball Dhawan and white-ball Dhawan. He wanted
the twain to meet. After checking in his baggage (and he had plenty), he made
it to the deserted Business Class Lounge.
Yet, Dhawan
yearned for more privacy. He furtively made to the men’s room, once there, he
locked himself in a stall with his two phones, and started to text himself.
This was a trick he had learnt from VVS Laxman at Sunrisers Hyderabad.
Phone with
red cover was, you guessed it, for red-ball Dhawan. White cover for white-ball
Dhawan. A third phone that was tucked away, was for odd-ball Dhawan (the one
who’s dropped).
Red Ball
Dhawan (RBD): You forgot the process again. You got the first Test…
White Ball
Dhawan (WBD): Why are we still talking Test cricket?
RBD: That’s
who I am
WBD: But
you don’t exist now. It’s about the new process now. ODI process. Try new
things.
RBD: I am
finished? What are you…
WBD: relax
boss, I’ll make a few moves and we’ll both be back
RBD: What
moves?
WBD: You’re
playing in the first Test against Windies…
RBD: How?
You’re crazy…flat track confidence as always...I didn’t have to leave all those
balls and still edge them
WBD:
Nothing new, yaar, you know...there is no process…don’t keep using that word
RBD: But
it’s a big word, everybody uses it and loves it…Mahi bhai loves it too
WBD: Even
GC loved it
RBD: Who
GC?
WBD: Don’t
be stupid you, Greg Chappell…always acting the innocent one…you are full idiot,
Delhi style, moorkh hahah I know what
you know and you don’t know what I know…why we are even talking…first game
against Hong Kong, big 100…easy...then, next day more…white ball Dhawan is rock
star
RBD: What
about me? Scars from England…outside edge scars…lbw scars…dropped catch
scars…dropped from team scars…I’m finished boss
WBD: NO.
You are boss, boss, boss hahaha it’s simple. Hong Kong easy match. Pak no
pressure. Dubai we will go shopping after winning against Pak…you will be
Sheikh again…Sheikh Shikhar…hahaha…I’m funny…hahhaa…process is important to be
funny also…hahaha
At this
point, Dhawan doesn’t realise, that in his excitement, he’s both texting and
talking aloud and LOL-ing too. In the adjacent stall, there is company. None
other than his captain, Rohit Sharma.
Rohit
Sharma(RS): Oye? #TheOne…
Shikhar
Dhawan (SD): Oye? #Hitman…
RS: What
the…just saying
SD: What
the you?
RS: oh,
nothing…just great…just saying that I was in the neighbourhood so dropped in to
take a look for some peace and quiet…and it’s great to be here…nice and
quiet…after a tough day at the office…where everybody does their best but it
doesn’t always go…go to plan…but no complaints…just great..how’re you…just
saying that we have a great chance in Dubai for the Asia Cup…I think…just
saying that if we play to our potential we can rest some key players and beat
Hong Kong easily and then play those key players and beat Pakistan easily, that
will be great I think…just saying…we need to do the basics right…Great…how’re
you…you’re looking great?
SD: But you
can’t see me, Hit
RS: But I’m
just saying I know what you look like…what are you doing, One?
SD: No
secrets between brothers…
RS: Great!
SD: I was
doing process…texting myself
RS: Great…I
was doing the same…
(Both speak
over each other): Red Ball Dhawan to White Ball Dhawan…Red Ball Rohit to White
Ball Rohit…
Both crack
up loudly.
SD: Lax’
bhai taught you too?
RS:
No…no…Sachin Paaji at MI…
SD: What?
But he didn’t need this…
RS: Just
saying it’s always great to talk to Paaji but Paaji is just great…always think
about everyone…so I’m just saying because VVS also had this red ball white
problem thing which was not great maybe Paaji taught him also…how to adapt to
different conditions…to different phones…the different formats and how to
format your own disc drive to different formats…it is no computer science just
saying…
SD: SH*T
but Lax’ bhai played much less ODIs…than me
RS: Great…but
even then he was a great player and you cannot take that away from him…that he
played much less than me too…just saying ODIs…
SD: But how
will this process help us if it couldn’t help him…
RS:
Great…ok, maybe not so great for him but at least he played so many Tests and
he was definitely a great Test player and who knows if he even had a mobile
phone then and if he had to handwrite all this that would be a lot of work but
he had beautiful wrists and who knows…maybe those wrists became beautiful by writing
all these notes to himself…
At this
point there is outrageous laughter from a third stall. It’s Ambati Rayudu
Ambati
Rayudu (AR): Laxman Bhai taught me too…to text between ICL Rayudu and IPL
Rayudu…back then…he was laughing at me all that time…I don’t think he was
serious…
RS: Oye
SHUT UP! Just saying you are…Yo-Yo Test FAIL!
Both Dhawan
and Rohit crack up.
SD: And I
keep getting dropped from Test team…haha
RS: And I
don’t get picked for Test team hahaha…
(While VVS
Laxman played 134 Test matches, he appeared in only 86 ODIs. The conflict
between the red-ball cricketer and white-ball cricketer is a perpetual one.
Rohit (185 ODIs), Dhawan (107 ODIs) have only played 25 and 34 Tests
respectively. Rayudu has played 36 ODIs but yet to make his Test debut.)
However
plausible this may be sound, this is largely a work of fiction
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