May 1, 2013 Indian odyssey continues

We are in the heart of the IPL now and unfortunately we’re at the wrong end of the ladder in Delhi..

A good win over Pune has kept our faint hopes of finals action alive but our goal for the last few matches is to deliver some great entertainment, and wins to our fans.

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  Post game entertainment

  Pot game entertainment

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  That big head belongs to my mate Trent, who is travelling as a Daredevils fan!

  That big head belongs to my mate Trent, who is travelling as a Daredevils fan!

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  Not sitting on my ass on days off!

  Not sitting on my ass on days off!

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  Bandra-Worli bridge in Mumbai

  Bandra-Worli bridge in Mumbai

It feels like I’ve been in India for a long time now. I arrived back in mid February and although Delhi were kind enough to allow me a couple of days back home, the IPL still has a couple of weeks to go. I do love the place, but I have been struggling a bit to keep myself going mentally as travel around from ground to ground. Having said that, it is my job to make sure I keep delivering results and thankfully the mental fatigue doesn’t seem to be impacting the enjoyment of my batting or ball striking.

Team morale is still good despite our position on the table and it’s always a privilege to play in a team with world class players like Viru and Mahela.

Away from cricket I've just been hitting the pool and gym a lot. I also got some tenpin bowling in last week, but unfortunately one of my mates travelling as Daredevils fan, Trent, really toweled me up.

Anyway I thought I would dedicate most of this blog to your questions, so here goes....

Questions from Fans…

Bhadresh Goudar asks: hw is relationship with veeru...how is our god veeru?

DW says: I get on really well Viru … I think because both of us have a similar approach to our batting I really like talking cricket with him .. He is a pretty laid back guy, who when he bats just totally backs himself and that’s something I have tried to adopt as well.

Daniel Keem asks: G'day Dave, what is the reasoning behind your batting order swaps during this years IPL? You started off opening as usual but recently been shifted down. WHY?

DW says: Basically its just what worked best for the team… When you have guys like Viru and Mahela in the side it’s no disgrace being moved down the order.. I’d rather that than not play! I batted in the middle order most of the time until I was about 18 or 19 so it’s not completely foreign to me.

Benjamin Yates asks: Who would you rather open with? Ed? Watson? Rogers?

_DW says: Very tough question… It’s very competitive for opening spots in the Ashes squad so all of us will have to be on our game … I’ve enjoyed opening the batting with Ed in recent times so I’d be happy for the selectors to stick with him … Having said that, I’ll be more than happy if I’m just in the side… _

Luke Mannion: Hi Dave, what's been the toughest, lowest point of your career ?

DW says: Well in terms of cricket and not things outside of it, it was probably being kicked out of the Cricket Academy a few years ago… I wasn’t meeting the standards required at that stage but it was a real wake up call and was probably the catalyst for to get my attitude right.

Chandrashekhar Ashok asks: Are u ready for the ashes?? Are u confident that Aussies can lift the Ashes without MR Cricket and Punter???

DW says: Of course I am confident… I’m not ready yet though as I’ve been in India for three months… Need a bit of a hit in English conditions first … We’ll start underdogs and no Ricky and Huss means we are a bit inexperienced but I think we can look a lot to the 1989 series and take inspiration from that.. Hopefully it will be the series where our next generation players step up to the mark.

Corraline Murdock asks: How would you rate your year of cricket this year? Is there something specific you want to work on to improve your game?

DW says: Im not completely satisfied with my year. The Indian series was obviously from a team point of view disappointing and I also thought I threw away some really good starts … The way I play I accept that from time to time I might make a couple of low scores but I really expect to go on and make big scores when I get in and I’ve gotten out a few times in the 50-70s range recently. So that’s what I want to work on this year is just being a bit mentally and physically tougher once I’m settled in.

Chris Morris asks: Here is one Dave ! Who was your opening partner when you were paying for coastal lol

DW says: Was that opening bowling or batting partner? Haha … There were too many to name.. I think my last one there was a guy called John Nash… Good memories…

Suryan Shaji: Why are you changing your backlift from time to time,especially when you are facing spin?

DW: Maybe it’s when I’m premeditating something, but I don’t use a different backlift for spinners.

Aravindh Shanka says: Have u thought of becoming a allrounder ever?

_**DW: **I think it about it every day .. haha .. If I can get my leggies more consistent than maybe … but I do enjoy bowling…_

Jpgavan asks: How many Kabooms do you have over in India? What’s the biggest bat you’ve seen?

DW says: I’ve got 7 Kabooms with me and the biggest bat I’ve seen is definitely Chris Gayle’s!

Mark Lucas asks: Are you the shortest playing for Australia? 

DW says: Nice question Mark haha .. I think I’ve just got Hughesy covered..

Caitlin Purvis asks: How short are you?!?

DW says: What’s with all the short questions?? Umm I think I am 170cm TALL!

Bilal – Asif asks: How's your season going on in delhi team.how are u feeling after your losses in the team

DW says: It’s been very disappointing .. We had big expectations for ourselves this year but so far feel well below them … The IPL is a real momentum tournament and we haven’t been able to generate any as yet … Still a few games left to do it though…

Daniel Warner asks: What do you do before you start a cricket match?

DW says: On game day I like to sleep in as much as possible if we are playing at night … Have a good breakfast and hydrate lots … Then I just relax whether it be watching a movie or going out to lunch with friends… Then in the arvo I start getting all my gear ready and get to the ground nice and early to have a hit and catch some balls … It’s a pretty boring day really! Just try to conserve energy ..

Well that's all for now...

Until next time,
Dave

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