Best of Shikhar Dhawan: Looking back at his finest knocks
Former India opener Shikhar Dhawan featured in 269 international games for India and scored 10,867 runs at an average close to 40.
Shikhar Dhawan, who announced his retirement on 24 August, was India’s opening mainstay in the previous decade, providing stability as a top-order batter across the three formats. He had a stable run in Tests (2315 runs at an average of 40.61) and T20Is (1759 runs at 27.92), but it was in the ODI format (6793 runs at 44.11) where the southpaw came into his own.
Dhawan played a crucial role in holding the top order together after the departure of Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir in the early 2010s.
With that in mind, we look at his best batting performances across his 12-year career:
The Mohali turnaround
187 v Australia, third Test, Mohali, 2013
Dhawan had featured in a handful of limited-over games since making his debut in 2010 but hadn’t left his mark as a batter yet.
It all changed when he replaced an out-of-form Sehwag in the India XI for the third Test of the four-game Border-Gavaskar Trophy against Australia to make his Test debut. There were just two games left in the series, and Dhawan needed to be at his best to reignite his international career.
After Australia scored a formidable 408 in the first innings, Dhawan responded with a sensational 187, inclusive of 33 fours and two sixes, in his Test debut. His century came off merely 85 balls, the fastest ever by a debutant in the format. His score is the highest ever by an India Test debutant.
The Men in Blue secured a 91-run lead, which was backed by the bowlers who held Australia to 223 in the third innings. India chased down a modest target of 133 with six wickets to spare and took an unassailable 3-0 lead in the series.
Champion of Cardiff
114 v South Africa, Champions Trophy, Cardiff, 2013
Dhawan’s Mohali special helped him make a foray into the other formats. After being picked in the squad for the ICC Champions Trophy 2013, Dhawan was partnered with Rohit Sharma as India sought a new opening combination at the top.
In India’s opening game in Cardiff, the new left-right hand combination worked wonders against a South Africa attack featuring Morne Morkel, Lonwabo Tsotsobe, Rory Kleinveldt, and Ryan McLaren, as they added 127 runs for the first wicket. While Rohit perished for a well-made 65, Dhawan smashed his maiden ODI hundred, ensuring a match-winning total of 331/7 for India.
Dhawan’s 114 came off merely 94 balls with 12 fours and a six to his name. Dhawan thrived in the remaining games of the tournament as well, providing solidity at the top with Rohit. He was the leading run-getter at the tournament.
India had an unbeaten run to the title and had unearthed a new opening combination by the end of it.
Fighting performance in Auckland
115 v New Zealand, 1st Test, Auckland, 2014
India began the opening Test of the two-game series in New Zealand in inauspicious circumstances. They hadn’t won a Test away from home since 2011 and had lost the preceding ODI series 4-0 to the Black Caps.
A double hundred from Brendon McCullum (224) and a century from Kane Williamson (113) were followed by a brilliant fast-bowling display, as New Zealand secured a 301-run lead. Led by Ishant Sharma (3/28), and Mohammed Shami (3/37), India pacers skittled New Zealand out for 105 in their second innings. Still, a target of 407 was a daunting prospect given India’s performance in the first innings.
Dhawan, who had fallen for a duck to Trent Boult earlier, set the tone with an attacking start. Along with Virat Kohli (67), he stitched a crucial stand of 126 runs for the third wicket. He eventually fell for 115 when the score was 248, and India fell short by 40 runs.
However, the knock also showed that Dhawan was an adept batter in overseas conditions as well.
Shikhar Dhawan, 137 vs South Africa
Breaking the hoodoo in Melbourne
137 v South Africa, Cricket World Cup, Melbourne, 2015
India faced South Africa in their second group game in the ICC Men’s Cricket World Cup 2015. While the Men in Blue had gotten off to a winning start against Pakistan, the South Africa contest was an entirely different ballgame.
The Proteas had gotten the better of India in all their previous meetings (1992, 1999, 2011) in the Men’s Cricket World Cups. Moreover captained by AB de Villiers, South Africa were fielding an exceptional lineup with the likes of Hashim Amla, Faf du Plessis, Dale Steyn, Morne Morkel, Imran Tahir, and Quinton de Kock in the setup.
After India elected to bat, Rohit Sharma was run out for a duck in the third over. Dhawan then picked up from his end and stitched splendid partnerships with Virat Kohli (46) and Ajinkya Rahane (79). Taking on all the South Africa bowlers, Dhawan dispatched the Proteas around the ground, hitting 18 boundaries during his ton, including two sixes.
By the time the Southpaw was dismissed, India were all set for a 300-plus total.
Dhawan followed up his 137 with two important catches, as South Africa were bowled out of 177, and India secured a 130-run win.
Shining in Johannesburg
72 v South Africa, 1st T20I, Johannesburg, 2018
A closely fought Test series in South Africa was taken 2-1 by the hosts before India fought back in the ODIs to secure a 5-1 series win. The tour was to conclude with a three-game T20I leg, and Virat Kohli's side were keen to win the bragging rights by securing a second series on the tour.
It was Dhawan's attacking knock that helped set the tone for India in the first T20I. The southpaw was more aggressive than usual, and scored 72 off 39, with 10 fours and two sixes to his name. His was the highest score as India belted 203/5. Bhuvneshwar Kumar's 5/24 then secured a 28-run win for India.
True grit at the Oval
117 v Australia, Cricket World Cup, The Oval, 2019
After a comfortable win against South Africa in their first group match of the 2019 Cricket World Cup, India were facing Australia at The Oval. This was a significant contest because India’s unbeaten run in the 2015 edition was halted by Australia in the semi-final, who went on to win the tournament.
Along with Rohit (57), Dhawan gave India the perfect start, taking the lead in attacking strokeplay. Despite getting hit by Pat Cummins, Dhawan continued against a formidable Australia attack. He hit 16 fours during his century, which came of 95 balls. This was his sixth and final hundred in ICC tournaments.
Cameos from Hardik Pandya (48 from 27), and MS Dhoni (27 from 14) helped the Men in Blue make the most of this start and led them to 352/5. This is India’s highest Cricket World Cup total against Australia.
A sharp bowling performance ensured a 36-run victory for India. However, later scans revealed that Dhawan had fractured his thumb during his innings and was ruled out of the tournament.
This brave knock in tough circumstances, proved to be Dhawan’s final outing in an ICC tournament.