India opener Shikhar Dhawan has said his "failures" in England were part of a "learning experience" and would help him become a better batsman. Dhawan, who scored 187 on Test debut last year, has not been as prolific in 2014 - his top score during the five-Test series in England was 37.
Dhawan played the first three Tests in England, making 122 runs from six innings at an average of 20.33, before he was dropped for Gautam Gambhir. "Those six innings that I failed probably will help me to play 50 good innings," Dhawan told PTI ahead of the second ODI against West Indies in Delhi. "Last one year has been a learning experience for me as I have seen both success and failure. But if you don't know what failure is, you won't be able to enjoy success. I am learning everyday."
He had a better outing in the ODIs in England, scoring 155 runs from four innings at an average of 51.66. His unbeaten 97 at Edgbaston in the fourth ODI helped India take a 3-0 series lead.
"It's very important for a player to have his captain's backing during a lean patch and I have received a lot of support from the skipper," Dhawan said. "He has been India captain for so long and he knows what a player requires. Even the support staff backed me to play my natural game."
When asked if he had changed anything in his game after the low scores in England, Dhawan said his basics had remained the same. "As you go along the way, you learn new things but my basic game has remained the same," he said. "You learn about the mental aspect of the game as in how to disturb the flow of the bowlers. You mature with experience."
Dhawan has been opening with Rohit Sharma in ODIs since the Champions Trophy last year and the pair has scored 1500 runs from 32 innings at an average of 48.38, with six century and four fifty stands. Ajinkya Rahane has partnered Dhawan after Rohit picked up a finger injury in England and was then ruled out of the West Indies ODIs with multiple injuries. Dhawan said Rahane's positive approach had helped him.
"I love opening with both Rohit and Ajinkya," Dhawan said. "Ajinkya is the aggressor and hits the ball really well. I then take my time to play shots while at times it's the opposite. It's just been two [four] games with Ajinkya but I am enjoying it. It's good when runs start coming from both ends."
Dhawan scored a scratchy 68 in the first ODI in Kochi that India lost by 124 runs. The second ODI in Delhi will be played on Saturday.