Players are ‘hurt’ just like you guys are: Shikhar Dhawan

Indian opener Shikhar Dhawan, who hasn’t been in good touch in the ongoing Test series against England said that the players, just like the fans are, “hurt” after poor batting in the second innings cost the visitors the fourth Test match in Southampton by 60 runs.

After staged a dramatic comeback in Nottingham, Virat Kohli and his team had all the momentum going into the match at the Rose Bowl but a shambolic batting performance saw them fall short by 60 runs at the end as England secured an unassailable 3-1 lead in the five-Test series.

“People who have been writing negative stuff. We are also hurt the day you guys are. It is important to learn from our mistakes and move forward. We give our best for the nation everytime we walk on the ground and most important thing is as a team we should be in a good mindset before the next game,” the left-hander’s post on Instagram read.

One of India’s biggest headaches in the series has been the batting and the fact that all three of the openers-KL Rahul, Murali Vijay and Dhawan himself have failed to make a significant impact is something which is indeed a matter of concern. Out of the four Test matches played so far, Dhawan has scored just 158 runs while opening partner Rahul has only amassed 113. Murali Vijay, who was axed from the side for the last two matches only managed to score 26 runs from the two matches he played.

Dhawan’s post further read, “We cannot change the past. So we do our hard work at the ground as always and keep our process strong. After practice, it is important to laugh and be happy so we create positivity in the team. That’s what champions do. Easy to be happy when winning. Warriors stay positive when things are down too. Thanks to the fans who are still supporting us.”

The fifth and final Test match of the series gets underway on Friday at The Oval.