Dhawan, with 388 runs before this match, was already India’s highest run-scorer in ODIs this year, and with his unbeaten 81, he exceeded his run-tally to 469.
Indian batsman Shubman Gill (left) and Shikhar Dhawan walk off the pitch at the end of the first ODI against Zimbabwe in Harare on Friday. AP
Indiais opening pair of Shikhar Dhawan and Shubman Gill were at their explosive best in the first ODI against Zimbabwe on Thursday. With India chasing a target of 190, both Dhawan and Gill stitched an unbeaten 192-run stand for the first wicket to see India home, with more than 19 overs to spare. Dhawan and Shubman scored 81 and 82 respectively.
Both Dhawan and Gill tasted success as openers during the ODI series against West Indies recently, and they carried on that form into the first ODI against Regis Chakabva’s men.
Dhawan, with 388 runs before this match, was already India’s highest run-scorer in ODIs this year, and with his unbeaten 81, he exceeded his run-tally to 469.
Former India batter Ajay Jadeja, meanwhile, noticed striking similarities between Dhawan and batting great Sachin Tendulkar.
“There will always be a period where you are re-energised and you’ve got to change your game because the next generation is always quicker, faster, smarter. And they always push you. A good example is going back to Sachin Tendulkar. Think of him when Yuvraj Singh, MS Dhoni and all these guys came in. He did exactly the same thing in his career. He had to reinvent himself, changed the pace at which he was playing the game to keep up with the younger lot,” said Jadeja at the post-match show on Thursday.
“You’ve got to catch up. Sometimes as a senior player you tend to take it easy, you’ve been around for so long… You stagnate at a certain place. But when that next generation comes, it starts pushing you. The first time was when Rahul Dravid and Sourav Ganguly came in and the next change was when Yuvraj, Sehwag and Dhoni came in. And you can see the same with Shikhar,” Jadeja added.
India lead the three-match series 1-0, and would look to seal the series when the two teams face off in the second ODI in Harare on Saturday.
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