Indian all-rounder Vijay Shanker said the biggest takeaway for him from the just concluded Australia and New Zealand series was learning the “art of chasing” from none other than former skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
Shanker had some decent performance with the bat during the New Zealand leg, and he now wants to finish games like Dhoni does.
“I was happy to be around with the seniors. Just watching them prepare for matches and learning. Moreover, I learnt a lot by watching Dhoni during run chases. I learnt a lot about how to pace an innings, especially during chases. I learnt about his mindset,” Shankar told PTI during an interaction.
Shanker also said sharing a dressing room with Dhoni, Virat Kohli and Rohit Sharma was like living a dream.
“It was a great experience to share the dressing room with names like Virat Kohli, MS Dhoni, Rohit Sharma. It is important to watch and learn from the seniors in the team,” Shankar added.
Speaking about him getting promoted up the order to No 3, Shanker said he was happy to be asked to bat at that position.
“I was surprised but at the same time was very happy to be asked to bat at number three. I was told before the series started that I would bat at one-drop. In T20s, there is not much time to settle down and the approach needs to be positive.”
Speaking about his performance in the just concluded three-match T20I series against New Zealand, Shanker said, “I thought I should have got more runs. Also, I felt disappointed that I could not take the team home in the third T20. I had the chance. It is a learning experience for me. I need to adapt faster and also be consistent…”