Mohali, March 18 (IANS) India’s debutant opener Shikhar Dhawan said it was important for him to play his natural game as his 187 runs in the first innings helped India beat Australia by six wickets and take an unassailable 3-0 lead in the four-match Border-Gavaskar series.
Dhawan and Murali Vijay (153) strung together a 289-run partnership for the first wicket in the first innings which proved to be decisive.
“I would like to thank god and my family,” Dhawan, the man of the match, said during the post-match presentation.
“It’s s dream come true. When I entered, I was nervous for three-four balls. Once I got into my rhythm, I played my natural game. Vijay did a great job too,” he said.
Dhawan’s century was the fastest by a batsman on debut and the highest by an Indian debutant.
“I wanted to stay at the crease as long as possible, I didn’t want to throw my wicket away. I will cherish this for the rest of my life,” he said.
The left-hander though failed to come out in the second innings after injuring his finger while fielding.
“The finger is going to take a bit of a time. It’s all part and parcel of the game. I fell on my knuckles when I dived.”
