Cape Town: Indian opener Shikhar Dhawan feels that the Indian team is well-equipped and has the X-factor to succeed anywhere in any conditions in the world.
“We have a lot of experience. For instance this is my second tour to South Africa, so I was better equipped for this tour, mentally and skill-wise. That plays a big role,” Dhawan said ahead of India’s third ODI against South Africa.
He added, “The good thing is there’s experience and youth, but the younger players are also playing like they have had a lot of experience. That is a big strength of ours.”
The southpaw also stated that the addition of Hardik Pandya in the team gives the side an extra edge.
“With an all-rounder coming in, the balance overseas is set. We have the option of not introducing spinners early, depending on the situation. So we have a lot of flexibility. If the game goes a certain way, we know that we can bring on spinners later than normal, and Hardik can bowl at that time. That is certainly an x-factor,” opined Dhawan.
The Indians have thoroughly dictated proceedings in the series so far and are set better their ODI record in South Africa, having already taken a 2-0 lead in the six-match series.
Injured in the South African camp has also added to the woes of the hosts but Dhawan said that they are not going to be complacent and would focus on the third game.
“I don’t think we guys are going to get complacent. It’s a big series for us. And of course South Africa played very well in the Test series. So we’d like to go as hard as possible and try to win whatever games come our way,” he said.
Keeping the injuries aside, the South Africans have really found it difficult to deal with the likes of wrist-spinners Kuldeep Yadav and Yuzvendra Chahal, with the duo hunting in pairs and taking a total of 13 wickets in the two matches played so far.
Said Dhawan, “It is difficult to play wrist-spinners because they can turn the ball on flat tracks also. And when the ball starts turning, the overseas players especially aren’t very used to it. That can create doubts in batsmen’s minds, which is why they are effective.
“If I speak of Kuldeep and Chahal, I personally find Kuldeep harder to read, and easier to read the leg spinners. There are many who can’t read the leg spinner’s googly, so Chahal’s googly will surely fool batsmen. But speaking for myself only, I find Kuldeep tougher to read.”
The left-hander also decided they reason for South Africa’s failure in not putting enough runs on the board. They have been totally taken aback by the inability to okay wrist-spin and thus, they required the services of five local wrist-spinners in the bets ahead of the third match.
“I won’t say it’s a lack of patience. You’re playing one-day cricket so you have to score some runs. If you defend 50 balls and don’t score, then that’s of no use. They are losing a lot of wickets in the middle, which is why they can’t get to the targets they are trying to make,” felt Dhawan.
“If you have some confusion or doubt in your mind, its first effect is on your thinking. No matter who the batsman, and then it shows in your batting. If they can’t read our spinners, then of course they’ll be more cautious while playing them. We do get an advantage from that,” he also said.
Dhawan featured in the first Test in Cape Town but was subsequently dropped the remaining two five-day games. The southpaw nonetheless made an amazing return with scores of 35 and 51* in the first and second ODI in the series.
In the first match, he was batting well but a terrible mix-up with skipper Virat Kohli resulted in him being run-out.
“My form was going good. Even when I wasn’t playing, I was batting like this. The only thing is when I was not playing I worked harder, made myself fitter as I had time on my hands. I knew what I needed to work on and what challenges I could face here, what their bowlers will do against me to get me out. I’m just enjoying my process,” he said.
The Indians have looked pretty formidable in the series so far with the only concern being Rohit Sharma’s form. The right-hander who has three double hundreds to his name in the 50-over format averages just 13.44 in 10 ODIs in South Africa.
“I feel Rohit is playing amazingly. The way he’s timing the ball has been amazing. Even in the last match he was playing very well, but unfortunately he got out. I don’t see any concerns with his batting.
“The key for our success is we are not losing wickets on top. Of course the South African fast bowling is very strong, but we are playing them nicely. And once we cross the first 10 overs, the ball gets a bit older and we dominate more after that,” added Dhawan.
The pitch for the third ODI in Newlands is set to be a traditional South African one, offering plenty of bounce. The Indian team’s usage of water has been put under restrictions during their stay in Cape Town, owing to the drought situation and Dhawan said that the team is aware of this issue and they respect it.
“We all know that there is a drought here and we respect that. We are aware that we have to save as much water as we can, because people need it. We respect that,” he said.