“Showed Maturity”: Shikhar Dhawan Lauds India’s Effort Against South Africa

India’s stand-in ODI captain Shikhar Dhawan is happy that his team was able to show a lot of character on tough pitches during the three-match series against South Africa. After losing the first game in Lucknow, India clinched the series with two one-sided victories over the Proteas. “The boys showed great character on such tough batting pitches. The bowlers were clinical today,” Dhawan said after the match. “I am proud of the boys, the way they played in the series. The way they carried the responsibility and showed maturity. Would like to thank the support staff.” The first game in Lucknow was a forgettable one for the ‘Men in Blue’ especially because of the number of catches that they missed.

“We showed a lot of character in the first game, we dropped a few catches, but we never really put pressure on ourselves. We tried to stick to the process. I am enjoying the journey, I’ll try to keep performing well for my team.”

Mohammed Siraj, India’s ‘Player of the Series’, was happy with his consistent show in all three games. “Performing against a good team gives you a lot of confidence. I had to take the responsibility. I try to figure out the right lengths at the start of the innings. As a fast bowler you need that fire and passion inside you. Happy with my performance, and happy to get this Player of the Series award,” he said.

For Kuldeep Yadav, sticking to process has helped him reap rewards, just like his 4/18 in the final game. “I am not thinking too much about the result, just focusing on the process and focusing on my rhythm. I am trying to bowl in good areas. Not thinking too much, my next target is to perform well in Syed Mushtaq Ali tournament,” he said.

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David Miller, South Africa’s captain for the game, admitted that scoring 99 virtually sealed their fate “It was very tough. Didn’t help scoring just 99. Disappointing result today, to finish off the series in that way. There was a bit of spin, and it was two paced, it was tacky as it was under covers due to the rain.”

Miller felt that the team didn’t perform too badly. “We were really good in certain areas, we managed to find our feet. We just need to extend the good periods when it comes to ODIs,” he said.