Aakash down to earth after the Aussie high

It seemed like a conscious effort to underplay his star status. Within hours of landing in the Capital after successfully negotiating the hi...

It seemed like a conscious effort to underplay his star status. Within hours of landing in the Capital after successfully negotiating the high waves of international cricket in Australia, Aakash Chopra was back at the place where he took the first plunge. The Sonnet Club nets, which has been his daily destination since he was eight, today saw him in different light.

Wearing those India training apparel Chopra, who some months back was one among the many trainees at the Venkateswara College cricket ground, today stood out. Junior cricketers saw him with awe and asked for autograph while coach Tarak Sinha was visibly elated to find that nothing had changed: Chopra 8216;the star8217; even today touches his feet. Teenager Nitin Handa also had something to cheer about. When he beat the Indian opener outside the off-stump he smiled and said, 8216;8216;I beat a batsman who has successfully faced Lee and Gillespie.8217;8217;

But true to his temperament which he shows on field, Chopra was calm and composed while he got used to his newly-acquired star status.

Brushing off the special attention, he seemed more keen to talk about the Aussie tour. 8216;8216;It was education for me. By watching Sachin, Rahul and Laxman from close quarters one learns a lot. And to play against some of the best bowlers in the world was a great experience,8217;8217; he says.

He tells about captain Saurav Ganguly8217;s instruction on eve of the first Test match: 8216;8216;See off the new ball, play an anchor role. Let Viru play his natural game.8217;8217; Chopra8217;s 36 from 135 balls and a century opening stand with Sehwag meant the captain8217;s instruction were followed to the T.

The familiar sight of statemate Sehwag at the other end amidst the alien condition was a big help for Chopra. 8216;8216;Playing with Viru had always made me feel at ease. And the main ingredient of our partnerships is the understanding between us,8217;8217; he added.

His only regret was missing out on a long innings despite a string of great starts. 8216;8216;Yes, when I look back at my performances in Australia, not getting a 50 hurts 8230; it pinches. But I don8217;t have any regrets. The seniors told me not to worry about not getting a 50. If you are good enough to stay in the middle against this attack for three hours, you8217;ll soon play a longer innings, they assured me,8217;8217; Chopra said.

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His most memorable knocks was the 48 he made off 138 balls in the first innings of the Melbourne Test. 8216;8216;It was the Boxing Day Test. I was playing a match for the first time in front of 70,000 spectators. I faced Brett Lee, one of the fastest bowlers at present. I was hit on the head by a Nathen Bracken delivery, recovered and put on 143 runs for the first wicket. This innings was memorable for more than one reason,8217;8217; he said with a smile.

Besides exhibiting doggedness, determination and discipline in his batting, Chopra also proved a good fielder, taking five sharp catches while fielding at forward short-leg.

8216;8216;Probably as the junior-most member of the team, I was asked to stand at forward short-leg. Yes, it was a big risk standing close to Hayden who is a good sweeper and hits the ball hard.

8220;But the catch I took off a Nehra no-ball in the fourth or fifth over of the first Test boosted my confidence. Thereafter, I faced no problem. In fact, I enjoyed fielding close to the bat,8217;8217; he said.

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Just as Chopra was about to wind-up his training to leave, comes the news that another Sonnet player has touched a new high. Opener Shikhar Dhawan has been picked for the forthcoming under-19 World Cup to be played in Bangladesh.

Chopra can8217;t help but drop in a word for his club mate. 8216;8216;Do write something about this boy. He is really talented,8217;8217; he says.

Times have changed, wheels have turned. Some months back, a senior Sonnet player had said the same about Chopra.