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Dhawan recalls when broken-arm heroics couldn't save him from Team India axe: ‘Might as well die on the pitch'
Despite suffering a broken arm during a Test in 2016, former Indian cricketer Shikhar Dhawan continued to bat but was later dropped from the Test team due to poor form. read more
Former Indian cricketer Shikhar Dhawan has revealed one of the toughest phases of his international career when he was shown the door despite batting for the team with a broken arm. The incident took place during India's second Test against New Zealand at Kolkata, which was played from 30 September to 3 October 2016.
Before the Eden Gardens Test, former opener Dhawan had gone five innings without a single fifty-plus score and in the last 13 innings, he had scored just one half-century. Dhawan inched closer to getting dropped from the Indian team after scoring just one run in the Kolkata Test's first innings.
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Dhawan's broken heroics couldn't save him from axe
The former Delhi cricketer needed big runs in the second innings, but he was hit by a Trent Boult delivery, suffering a massive arm injury.
'The most difficult phase of my career, there was a time when I was really desperate. I knew that if I don't score runs I would be out of the team. We had a Test match in Kolkata, against New Zealand,' Dhawan said on Ranveer Allahbadia's new YouTube show called 'Taakat'. 'First innings I got out, second innings I went out and got hit by a ball by Trent Boult, it broke my arm.
'I knew that if I choose to sit out of that innings, I would be out of that team. So I decided no, I'm going to play, I'm going to see out the innings. Pehle hi mara hua toh hoon, toh puura marke jaun na (I'm dead either way, so might as well die completely on the pitch and go out)' said Dhawan.
Despite suffering a broken arm, Dhawan decided to continue batting, however, he could only score 17 runs in the innings, forcing the selectors to pick a new opener in the next match. That, however, didn't break Dhawan's spirit as he realised that staying happy is the most valuable thing.
'I played with a broken arm, got out on 15-20 runs, and after that I was out of the Test team. Then I realised that when I introspected, I was too desperate for that place. It's a very valuable place, people live like kings there. I was cribbing a little. I did put in a lot of work, but I worked with a desperate energy. That's why I didn't get the results. So I asked myself, what is most important for me in life? Happiness is most important, that I stay happy,' said Dhawan.
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'This was my dream, and I lived out my dream, set a world record, and I knew this would never stop, it would keep going. The race will never stop, someone will always be there,' he added.
Dhawan scored 187 on his Test debut against Australia in Mohali, which is the fastest century by a player on debut in Tests.
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