Dhawan gets a green-top to make his case

Dhawan gets a green-top to make his case

Shikhar Dhawan, who sustained a thumb injury during the Kolkata Test against New Zealand, is now on a comeback trail. With KL Rahul a doubtful starter for the next Test in Mumbai due to a forearm injury, Dhawan gets a chance to catch the selectors' eye when he pads up for Delhi in their Ranji Trophy clash against Vidarbha on a green-top at the SSN College Grounds in Chennai from Tuesday (November 29).

The 30-year-old, who underwent rehabilitation at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) in Bengaluru, returned to competitive cricket when Delhi played Rajasthan in their previous Ranji game at Wayanad - scoring of 38 and 49 respectively. "I am enjoying myself at the moment. I am playing Ranji Trophy after a long time and it's great to be back with the Delhi boys," said Dhawan.

He spent considerable time at the nets on the eve of the clash. The familiar grin was back on his face as he posed for selfies with a group of fans who had gathered to watch him practice. Dhawan felt the competition for the opener's slot in the national side was a healthy sign.

"It's great that we have so many openers who are vying for the position. All of us have to perform consistently in order to be in contention," said Dhawan.

The left-hander revealed that he enjoyed his time away from the game. "Injuries happen. I accepted that I was injured and ensured my rehab went well. Acceptance is very important or else you would end up being frustrated," he said.

But that didn't stop him from analysing his game and looking to iron out errors that have crept into his batting. "I constantly work on my game. I look for solutions (to the problems) and ensure that my game gets better," said Dhawan.

Were there areas that he particularly concentrated on? "I am not going to tell you what I have worked on," he laughed.

The Delhi-Vidarbha encounter also provides a window of opportunity for Gautam Gambhir to make a case for himself. However, the task for the duo could get tedious as the pitch is likely to aid the seamers. Paras Mhambrey, the Vidarbha coach, felt the pitch had enough grass on it to pose a challenge for the batsmen.

"It looks like a good seaming track and can help the fast bowlers. For us, it's a crucial game as we would want to have maximum points in order to have a chance of making the knockouts," he said.

While Vidarbha have 13 points from 6 games, Delhi has 18 in its kitty and a strong showing would help them inch closer to a spot in the last-8 of the competition.