- 'It is an important tour and all of us are looking forward to the first Test match. Australia is the best Test team in the world and it is always a great feeling to score against them.'
- 'Our opening combinations haven't worked overseas but that doesn't mean we can't do it. I have a lot of hope and lot of opportunities to do well are coming ahead.'
In what would come as a sudden change of plan for Team India, Mahendra Singh Dhoni could lead the side in the opening Test against Australia in Adelaide as he has joined the squad well in time for the four-match series, which had to be rescheduled following Australia batsman Phillip Hughes' death, pointed out opening batsman Shikhar Dhawan.
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Dhoni, nursing a palm injury, was meant to take over from the second Test onwards, originally scheduled in Adelaide from December 12.
But due to the rescheduling of the start of the series from December 4 (Brisbane) to December 9 (Adelaide), the regular captain could make the playing eleven from the very beginning of the four-match series.
Dhawan on Saturday stated that stand-in skipper Virat Kohli might have to wait a little more to lead the side in Tests.
"Both are aggressive captains. But there is a certain difference. Virat is a lot more charged up on the field. It is enjoyable playing under both of them. It might be a longer wait for Virat to lead India in Test cricket since Dhoni is here now," Dhawan said.
The focus is slowly shifting back to cricket after a week of emotional turmoil owing to Hughes' death and Dhawan said he is looking forward to the challenge of facing Mitchell Johnson's extra pace in the series.
"He is one of the best bowlers in the world. He has got good raw pace. But we have practised playing against such pace. Also, I have faced him a lot of times back in India in international matches and in the IPL. Yes, I will be facing him for the first time in Australia, so it is going to be a good challenge. Hopefully I will enjoy batting against him here," Dhawan said in Adelaide.
"I feel it is important to have an aggressive opening batsman. Not in Australia, but in today's cricket in general. It helps turn things around quickly for your team and helps gain momentum. I would love to play that role for my side and it will be very good for us if I can pull it off," he added.
Dhawan had made his debut against Australia at Mohali in the 2013 home series. It was a special innings as he smacked the fastest Test century on debut and finished with 187 runs off 174 balls. Since then he has become a permanent fixture of the Indian Test team but his form on away tours has been erratic.
He did well in New Zealand, but failed to impress in South Africa and England against better quality attacks. On that latter tour, he was also dropped after the third Test in favour of Gautam Gambhir.
"It is an important tour and all of us are looking forward to the first Test match. Australia is the best Test team in the world and it is always a great feeling to score against them. We have prepared well and looking forward to the match," said the left-hander.
"I have always learnt a lot from my failures. It has made me a better player. I concentrate on the knowledge of my game that I possess and listen to my coaches, as well as analyse on the computers.
"I am always open to improving my game and I change my approach if I feel that an advice will work to the betterment of my game. But after that I don't concentrate on what the experts are saying. It is their thinking and their point of view," he added.
Australia is like a second home for Dhawan as his wife Ayesha is from in Melbourne. The environment therefore isn't too alien for him and he will be looking to take this in his stride and press on with scoring runs for the team.
"This is my first tour here for the Indian team," said Dhawan. "But I have been here before with the India 'A' team and have played a lot of Emerging Trophy cricket. I have played a lot of cricket in Brisbane."
"The plan is clearly to do well and play some good cricket in good spirit. As an opening batsman I want to give my team a good start and score runs. Our opening combinations haven't worked overseas but that doesn't mean we can't do it. I have a lot of hope and lot of opportunities to do well are coming ahead," said the left-handed batsman.
