A day before the warm-up match against Australia, Shikhar Dhawan was questioned about his lack of form and whether he had identified his technical flaws. Dhawan, in his own demeanor, replied with a huge smile, “I don’t think I have a big technical problem; I feel am just round the corner when it comes to striking form.” Dhawan’s half century in India’s first warm-up fixture against Australia may just be the form that Dhawan himself and the Indian team is looking for. In India’s mammoth run-chase of 372, Dhawan looked confident and determined, playing to his strengths and playing freely. A highlight that he points out was one of the best feelings he had of late. “It feels great to be back amongst the runs. More than the runs I am more satisfied with the way the ball is coming off my bat. Today the ball went in the places I wanted to hit and with the ease with which I wanted it to,” Dhawan said in an exclusive chat with bcci.tv. Dhawan’s half century was laced with his favorite cut shot to beat the fielder at point, the occasional one legged pull and beautiful cover drives that made it quite a sight to watch from the man who has not enjoyed the best of times with the bat. “There were a range of shots that I enjoyed playing today, but it was the cover drive that I hit off Mitchell Marsh that made me feel really good. The moment it left my bat it raced away to the extra cover region for a boundary, piercing the field. The highlight of the shot was that it was effortless; and when shots come effortlessly the joy of it is completely different.” Dhawan might not have set the evening on fire with towering sixes or put the opposition into submission, but the very fact that runs came off his bat the way he wanted should keep him in good stead. As he has always reiterated, he has taken the good and bad times in the same stride and there is an undying hunger for runs in him that fails to fade. “The hunger for runs is always there irrespective of whether I was getting runs or not. The want to get more runs increases when there is a dearth of it. At those times it is important to be patient and keep your calm. You’ve got to believe in yourself that you will get the runs for your team. “When I walk out to bat, I never think that today is my day or tomorrow it will be,” he elaborates. “Over the past two months that I have been here in Australia I have only made sure that I concentrate on the process rather than thinking about the result. I have learnt a lot from these two months and I have treated my successes and failures equally. When things don’t go your way it bites you from within and you have to find a way to get out of it. Those failures have made me stronger and I believe I know my game a lot better now than before.” When asked about the changes he has brought in his game, Dhawan replied, “I haven’t brought about a drastic change in my game. There are miniscule technical issues that I am trying to sort out and in the process I believe will yield better results. I have brought about a few changes in my game and I am getting more time in the middle to play. My shot selection is becoming a lot better and I am able to play the bounce well.” India were peppered with a lot of short stuff from the Aussie bowlers. As many as three batsmen including Dhawan got out playing the pull shot. Dhawan though believed the short stuff and the mistimed pull shots were not a point of concern. “Today the wicket was a bit skiddy and when the ball skids towards you, it becomes difficult to gauge how fast the bowler has bowled the bouncer at you. But, it is not a worry for us since we have been playing here for a lot of time now and we are prepared to counter the short stuff.” Apart from Dhawan’s half century, Ajinkya Rahane and Ambati Rayudu too brought up their respective fifties. Dhawan shared a 104-run stand with Rahane for the third wicket and described the partnership as enjoyable. “I enjoyed batting with Ajinkya tonight. He played some outstanding shots and there was a phase when he became the aggressor and I was playing second fiddle. We were glad to get some runs under our belts and put up a century stand.” India play another warm-up game in a day’s time and then face Pakistan in their first match of the 2015 World Cup. Dhawan, playing his first World cup, can’t wait for it. “I am absolutely looking forward to the games ahead. The two warm-ups games are going to be ideal preparation for us ahead of the big games.