Chawla has Chappell 038; Co. to fall back on

He started at 17, finished at 22. Laxman Sivaramakrishnan was, 20 years back, a Piyush Chawla. A young, promising leg-spinner then, today he...

He started at 17, finished at 22. Laxman Sivaramakrishnan was, 20 years back, a Piyush Chawla. A young, promising leg-spinner then, today he8217;s happy with all his television commitments, but regrets not taking his potential further in international cricket.

8220;I learnt a lot after I turned 22, became a better bowler with more varieties, but I never got the opportunity,8221; he says. Yesterday, when Chawla set out from his team hotel to make his Test debut and overtake Siva as the second youngest to wear the cap, he had just one thing to say to the youngster: 8216;Try and learn a new thing everyday8217;.

In Indian cricket, teenagers who have eventually turned superstars haven8217;t generally and carried on for long. Sachin Tendulkar is the only exception to that rule. The reasons are manifold, but they take into account both on and off-field events. Siva believes normally young players die early because of the burden of expectation on them. 8220;Look at his potential, not at results. A leg-spinner needs more time to develop. We should look at Chawla three years from now, that8217;s what should be our aim,8221; he says.

The expectations are already big; commercial things that tag along an international cricketer is already lined up for the Aligarh kid, but there are specific reasons why Chawla will not go the Siva way. Greg Chappell and his support staff are the biggest reasons why.

The team analyst will 8212; that day itself 8212;- tell when a bowler8217;s head is falling over or his arm is not straight at the time of delivery. The emphasis is to stop mistakes from creeping in, rather than curing it. Also Chappell8217;s teaching mannerisms aren8217;t a bunch of theory. In fact, it has a touch of realism that helps a cricketer to lap it up quickly and produce results. There8217;s no too much of coaching involved; just little fine-tuning. Chappell believes being natural is the best way to play cricket.

What has happened in Mohali, apart from rain and bad light, is a positive sign. They are replacing experience with youth in a planned, phased manner.

Chappell and his staff are here to ensure that this young team will not lose those Sivas and Sadanands. Not just Chawla, but RP Singh, Munaf Patel, Sreesunth are the future of Indian cricket and that is sprouting under fruitful conditions.