India opener Shikhar Dhawan is keen on making a return to Test cricket and thus he is looking forward to play some big knocks in the upcoming Ranji Trophy to reclaim his spot.
After the Vijay Hazare Trophy and the ongoing Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy, Dhawan will represent Delhi, whenever possible, in the Ranji Trophy season 2019-20, starting December 9.
Read Also: “Smart and attacking game is my mantra for the T20 format”, says Shikhar Dhawan
The southpaw hasn’t featured in Test cricket for India since September 2018.
“Absolutely. I love playing cricket and always make sure that focus is on process and other things follow on their own. I will be playing the T20s (Mushtaq Ali). I will also play Ranji Trophy and if I score I know I will be a strong contender to get back (into the Test team),” Dhawan said at an event in Delhi on Wednesday (November 13) when asked about his Test cricket ambitions.
When asked how he sees his career at the moment, the 33-year-old replied, “I am quite satisfied. I want to perform consistently. My energy levels and determination are the same as I was when I used to play in Ranji (before playing for India).”
Dhawan has failed to make a mark on his return to the national side after recovering from a thumb injury, which he had picked during India’s second World Cup game against Australia.
Shikhar’s comeback during the Caribbean tour saw him registering the scores of 1, 23 and 3 in T20Is and 2 and 36 in the ODIs.
In the recent T20I series against Bangladesh, the southpaw recorded the scores of 41 (42 balls), 31 (27 balls) and 19 (16 balls) which raised questions on his form and strike rate.
The left-hander acknowledged that he could have been more aggressive in that game.
“This series (against Bangladesh) went decent for me. Against South Africa (T20s again) I felt I played well and aggressive. But this game in Delhi (1st T20), I played cautiously considering the nature of the pitch.
“I could have played bit more aggressive in that game. But again that was the learning point for me. In the next game, I was playing fearlessly. Even in the last match,” Dhawan said.
He also backed under-fire Rishabh Pant, who faced criticism for his poor batting and wicketkeeping during the recently held T20Is against Bangladesh.
“Why it is always about Pant. I tell one you thing, every player goes through a phase when he is not scoring runs. It is not just about him.”
(With PTI inputs)
