Pace on his mind
Patiala pacer Sandeep Sharma aims to add a few miles of speed to supplement his swing
A bowler in the Praveen Kumar mould,Sandeep Sharma has the ability to swing the ball consistently and not go for too many runs. In a country where bowlers cut down pace to add years to their career,Sandeep,despite giving a lot of importance to swing,is sweating it out to increase speed and is optimistic on hitting the 135 km/h mark soon.
“My strength has been swing,and I will never compromise on it,” Sandeep told the Sportline. “As far as speed is concerned,I have hit the 130 km per hour mark. I am training hard to get more speed and as my body grows in a couple of years,the speed will only get better. If I get the needed speed and then swing the way I have been,my bowling will improve. My focus is now to touch the 135 km/h mark.”
The youngster understands that increasing speed is not an overnight affair,and is determined to put his best foot forward. Apart from the usual training regime,he has prioritised regular gym visits in his routine.
“Speed is on my mind now. My focus is to add a lot of strength to my body and I give a lot of emphasis to gymming and training. It may be a couple of camps in Punjab recently,I want to make full use of them to get the results,” adds the seamer.
Gilchrist’s advice
The Indian Premier League has been a springboard for many young cricketers. Some have gone on to earn the national cap after their impressive performances. Having made his debut for the Kings XI Punjab in IPL VI,Sandeep,apart from enjoying the success he got with the ball in a few matches,also got some ‘unforgettable’ advice from skipper Adam Gilchrist.
“It was an amazing experience to play under a player like Adam Gilchrist. A dream come true. He told me about professionalism and how to handle success. I had a different definition about professionalism,but it changed after my interactions with Gilchrist and Darren Lehmann. They used to say in the meetings to give your hundred per cent and relax after that. Play hard and party hard is what they used to say.
“Ahead of my first match against the Sunrisers Hyderabad,Gilchrist told me that it is not that big an occasion. He asked me to treat it like just another game and emulate my domestic performance,” recalls the 20-year old.
The U-19 World Cup in Australia last year was a very successful outing for both India and Sandeep. The team managed to lift the trophy after beating Australia in the final,and Sandeep ended as the joint-highest wicket-taker for India with 12 wickets to his name. The seamer was skipper Unmukt Chand’s go-to man in the all-important final and he didn’t disappoint him.
Sandeep kept the Australians under control and recorded fine figures of 4/54. The gentle swing bowler was the unsung hero of the final as all the limelight went to Unmukt’s match-winning ton under pressure. Sandeep,however,is happy with the way he performed and the ‘smooth road’ post that.
“The U-19 World Cup was very important. You get a lot of hype in India when you win a World Cup. My aim was to perform well and grab the selectors’ attention. My focus was to bowl in the right areas. I knew if I would do that,wickets will follow. Luckily it worked for me. After the World Cup triumph,I got a chance in Ranji Trophy. I did well there and got the break in the IPL. Luckily,things went well in the IPL. Things have been very smooth in cricket after the World Cup,” he says.
Focus on India U-23
In spite of everything going the right way,Sandeep is not looking too far ahead and is focussed on the job at hand. He will be attending the emerging bowlers’ camp for selected spinners and seamers at the NCA in Bangalore and will then attend the India U-23 camp for the Asia Cup in August.
“I take one step at a time. Right now I have the camp lined up. After that it is the U-23 India camp for Asia Cup. That is what I have learned from Gilchrist — take one step at a time. He also told me to not think too much about one tournament. Doing that,we tend to miss the fixtures in between those sought-after tournaments. He said you should forget about the tournament once it is over,and focus on the job ahead. I keep meeting cricket greats at the NCA and they advise on how to handle success and stay focussed on the job,” concludes Sandeep.
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