A Bollywood scriptwriter could not have done a better job. Two 12-yearold boys meet in Bangalore as they get their first break for the state.

One is a dasher who has modelled his game on Virender Sehwag, from audacious crisp hitting down to the hop-skip run-up off-spin.

The other idolises Rahul Dravid, cover-drives elegantly and works the ball off his hips like a pro, the perfect foil to the daredevil.

The two then rise through the ranks and open the batting for India in a World Cup.

Meet Mayank Agarwal and K.L. Rahul, the Karnataka boys who tucked into the Hong Kong attack like it was a hot serving of bisibelebhath (a South Indian rice preparation) on a cold, rainy day.

The target was not big and the attack fairly pedestrian, but with the serious threat of rain, the chance that lost points would make India’s match against England a must-win, and a tricky pitch that was up and down, the stage was set. Thankfully, the actors did not fluff their lines.

Agarwal, stockily built and exuding power, reminds you of a boxer waiting for the bell to ring so he can get stuck into his opponent.

As soon as the ball is in his range, and that’s a pretty broad one, he gets stuck in. Driving fearlessly on the up, with the gift of timing, he effortlessly and regularly hits sixes over extra cover, and provided an example on Sunday. His favourite shot, though, is the cut, and it’s easy to see why, given how effortless his strokes look.

“The timing and aggression are a gift I’ve been given by God,” says the student of Jain College in Bangalore, whose alumnus include Robin Uthappa and Manish Pandey.

“Today I just played my natural game. Rahul kept telling me to play the ball on merit and Read more…

Administrator India Bangalore, Blogs.CMDN.com, Cricket, Cricket Blogs, Manish Pandey, NCA, Rahul Dravid, Robin Uthappa, Virender Sehwag, World Cup

Thompson and Lillee. Waqar and Wasim. Holding and Marshall. Fast bowlers famously hunt in pairs, but it’s difficult to even consider India’s under-19 pairing as predators. Left-arm seamer Saurabh Netrawalkar looks the good boy who does his homework on time and stands first in exams, and this is true in real life. Sandeep Sharma has a mischievous grin and a twinkle in the eye fixed permanently on his cheeky face.

Together, the two form the backbone of India’s under-19 bowling attack. On Friday, they worked magnificently in tandem, putting the balls in the right areas and making it talk. Both bowled their full complement of 10 overs in one spell, with Netrawalkar registering tidy figures of 10-4-23-2 and Sandeep doing even better, returning 10-4-13-1. Afghanistan’s batsmen had no reply to the accuracy and cunning of the pair. The control was so total that the Indians could operate without a fielder at fine-leg, thereby packing the off side. Not one ball slid down leg, and movement in the air and off the pitch was enough to keep the batsmen honest.

“We began playing together in under-15 itself. In zonal acadamies and the National Cricket Academy, we’ve been bowling together,” says Sandeep. Like any successful pairing, the two revel in each other’s strengths. “The control and accuracy with which Saurabh bowls is amazing,” says Sandeep of his partner. “Sandeep’s attitude, and the positive manner in which he approaches everything, is a lesson for everyone,” says Netrawalkar, returning the compliment.

For coach Chandrakant Pandit, the pair is a huge relief. “Anyone can give ideas about what fields to set or how to approach things,” said Pandit. “But the real credit goes to those who apply these theories in practice, and get the right results.”

Netrawalkar is now studying Computer Science as an engineering major, and often carries his books with him on cricket tours. He remembers how his parents took the journey with him from Malad to Churchgate when he was picked up by Dilip Vengsarkar’s Elf Academy as a child. “Not only did they come with me, they waited for three hours while practice was on, and took me home,” says Netrawalkwar. The hard work is paying off, as the youngster Read more…

Administrator India Blogs.CMDN.com, Cricket, Cricket Blogs, NCA, Sandeep, Waqar, Wasim

After a hectic workout at the National Cricket Academy, Irfan Pathan was aware that all eyes were on him as he made his way to the Chinnaswamy Stadium, where his Corporate trophy team Air India (Red) were practising. In an interview with The Indian Express, Pathan talks about his technique, his transition from a pure bowler to a batting all-rounder, and about the mistake of consulting too many experts. Excerpts:

What’s the latest on Irfan Pathan’s comeback?

• I was supposed to play Corporate trophy, but I just did a session with the trainers in NCA, and they wanted me to first strengthen my legs before I start playing again. Paul Close and Paul Chapman are here and they’ll work with me for one or two weeks. I might miss the first two matches. So that’s the latest but yes, but I’m pretty relaxed, feeling pretty fresh.

There’s been a lot of debate about your technique, how you hold the ball and why it doesn’t swing.

• It’s all got to do with performance. If someone starts the way I did and goes down in comparison, people are bound to talk. I might have done well compared to others, but if my performance is not as good as my first two years, people have to say something. Everyone bowls differently — Muralitharan bowls differently. If he hadn’t taken that many wickets, people would’ve been saying he’s not a conventional off-spinner, that he puts his wrist behind his elbow. But now people say he’s doing so well because he’s got a unique technique.

You consulted several experts for your bowling. Did that help?

• When you think about it, you can say it proved detrimental. But at that time, I Read more…

Administrator Indian Cricket Ashish Nehra, Blogs.CMDN.com, Corporate trophy, Cricket, Cricket Blogs, Irfan Pathan, Ishant Sharma, L Balaji, Muralitharan, NCA, RP Singh, Zaheer Khan