It Affected Me For 4-5 Months: Dawid Malan On Getting Dropped From England's Test Side 3 Years Ago

Dawid Malan recently made a comeback to England’s Test side in the ongoing Test tour against India. He has replaced Dominic Sibley in the playing XI of England for the 3rd Test at Headingly in Leeds. The left-handed batsman last played a Test match 3 years ago during India’s tour to England in 2018. Speaking about his exclusion from the Test team, Dawid Malan said that the event affected him mentally for 4-5 months.

The 33-year-old cricketer made his Test debut back in 2017 against South Africa. The Southpaw smacked some amazing knocks against Proteas. Then in December 2017 in a Test match against Australia, he shattered astonishing 140 runs in Perth.

Malan followed up his century with a fifty in Sydney in the next game. Later, he played a Test series against India in 2018 but never got a chance in the Test side post the series.

It Probably Did Affect Me For Four Or Five Months: Dawid Malan

While speaking to Daily Mail, the left-handed batter revealed that getting dropped from the Test side affected him for 4-5 months and he couldn’t get into the right headspace.

“When you get dropped, you’re very emotional. And once the dust settles you look back and think, ‘Do you know what? I didn’t score enough runs, particularly in those last four or five Tests’. But those comments didn’t help.

“You work your socks off to earn the right to play for England but then you get comments that derail you and make you pigeon-holed. It’s amazing then how every Tom, Dick and Harry has an opinion on you and every time you nick off, those comments come back to bite you,” Malan said.

“It probably did affect me for four or five months and every time I went away for tournaments, I couldn’t get in the right headspace. But after a bit of a break when I had gathered my thoughts, I found a new lease of life,” he further said.

With the Test series against India, Dawid Malan will look to rebuild his Test career. In 15 Test matches so far, Malan has mustered 724 runs at an average of 27.84 with one century and 6 half-centuries. Meanwhile, England are down 0-1 against India after losing the 2nd Test by 151 runs at Lord’s. India vs England 3rd Test begins on August 25 (Wednesday) in Leeds.

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