Parents braved criticism to further Gill’s cricket career ›
MOHALI: The Mayfair housing society in Sector 70 was buzzing with activity since early morning on Tuesday. Television vans, cameramen, relatives and friends thronged House No 301 where the Gill family resides.
Shubman Gill had struck an unbeaten 94-ball 102 to help India beat Pakistan in the semifinal of the ICC Under-19 cricket World Cup at Christchurch’s Hagley Oval, and father, Lakhwinder, was a proud man.
“This (attention) is new to us. I started receiving calls from 6am asking for our address. Shubman has done India and us proud with his match-winning knock. I still remember the flak I got when I left my village and aging parents for his cricket. Today, people from the village are proud. We are thankful to God,” said Lakhwinder about the 18-year-old who started preparing for the World Cup two years ago.
“Coach Rahul Dravid has played a big role in shaping this U-19 set of players and Shubman has looked up to him. He was not keen to know what happened in the IPL auction, whether he was sold or not,” he said.
“In fact, he was thinking about the semifinal against Pakistan. He is not expressive on the field but because the opposition was Pakistan he was pumped up and exulted after reaching three figures. He told me he will get the World Cup home. When that happens, we will be better prepared to host everyone,” said Lakhwinder.
During the post-match presentation, Shubman credited his father and friend Khushpreet for his achievements. “I will be preparing some Punjabi delicacies when he returns home. He deserves a treat after such performances,” said mother Keerat, who hoped the boy would find time to prepare for his XII exams.
I still remember the flak I got when I left my village and aging parents for his cricket. Today, people from the village are proud. LAKHWINDER GILL, Shubman’s dad
Birmingham 1967. Bedi, Prasanna, Chandra and Venkat play in a Test. This would remain the only such instance in the illustrious career of India’s famed Spin Quartet. Skipper Pataudi throws the ball to wicketkeeper Budhi Kunderan to open the bowling since he has included no pacer in the XI.
In trying to set the field, he asks Kunderan what he would bowl. Kunderan famously replies: “We will find out soon, won’t we?” Fast forward 50-years to Johannesburg 2018.
Virat Kohli’s India go into the third Test match against South Africa at the Wanderers with no spinner and five pacers all capable of bowling at above 140 kph. In the sidelines is India’s fastest bowler, Umesh Yadav, with no more slots available in the XI.
The contrast speaks volumes about the path Indian cricket has traversed in the ensuing half-century. While spin continues to be an important part of the armoury, the flirtation with pace
THE FUTURE IS HERE
A new crop of pacers (and we are talking fast) is making waves on the domestic circuit and some have thrust themselves onto the world stage at the U-19 World Cup under Rahul Dravid.
Here is a short recap of each of these prospects who might well become household names in the months and years to come.
REMINDING AGARKAR Nineteen-year-old Shivam Mavi is not built like a fast bowler, but he certainly acts like one. One is reminded of a certain Ajit Agarkar who had precisely those qualities, if not quite the pace. At 5’9’’ Mavi will barely reach Mitchell Starc’s shoulder when they team up to open the bowling for
KKR this IPL. But
FATHER’S DREAM Currently making waves in New Zealand alongside Mavi is Kamlesh Nagarkoti. At 18, Nagarkoti is a year younger than his partner-in-crime, but perhaps more lethal in pace and accuracy. Against Australia at the U-19 WC, his fastest ball was clocked at 149kph.
He employed the special reverse-swing skills that coach Dravid insisted he learnt while Nagarkoti was in rehabilitation at the NCA for a shoulder tear.
The son of an army man who used his entire retirement kitty to buy a one-bedroom apartment in Jaipur so that his son could play cricket, Nagarkoti’s first pay cheque of ~3.2 crore from KKR in IPL 2018 should be enough to reward his father financially for keeping his faith in his son’s abilities.
BENGAL’S PRIDE
Bengal can (and does) take immense pride that she gave
MP TO PUNJAB
Our first left-arm fast bowler in this list, 18-year old Arshdeep Singh comes from Madhya Pradesh and plays for Punjab, bowls in the 140kph range and has been an important member of the U-19 World Cup squad in New Zealand.
He made his way into the Punjab team through sheer hard work, cycling 25 kilometres a day to and from practice, perhaps inadvertently helping strengthen his back and legs.
Singh’s show in the Vinoo Mankad Trophy where he was the second highest wicket-taker convinced Venkatesh Prasad and Rahul Dravid that this 6’2” pacer was worth investing in, particularly given India’s inability to find left arm pacers to replace Zaheer Khan, Irfan Pathan and RP Singh. Time will tell to what extent this young man justifies their faith. It is early days yet and he certainly provides hope for the future.