Tags:
Journalism of Courage
Q: What did one Ranji bowler say to another?
A: Beware of the D Company.
This isn8217;t about some shady underworld-cricket nexus, but a joke doing rounds on the domestic circuit this season. It concerns India8217;s fringe batsmen8212;the seven freshly contracted Grade D players who get a Rs 15 lakh retainership from the BCCI8212;and their flying start to the season.
After two rounds of Ranji Trophy games 8212;the third round is on8212;one witnesses a scramble at the starting line with each international aspirant elbowing for space to surge ahead. The light-heartedly labelled 8216;D Company8217;8212;Manoj Tiwary, Cheteshwar Pujara, S Badrinath, Mohammed Kaif, Parthiv Patel, Aakash Chopra and Yusuf Pathan8212;has an aggregate of 1537 runs from two games with just one of them missing a ton. That makes the average runs of each member of the group to 100 per game. But what makes the story more exciting is the fact that these aren8217;t the only cowboys in town.
In 21 Ranji Trophy matches so far, there have been 29 centuries, including three double tons. The combined run aggregate of all the three-figure batsmen happens to be 5295. With all the talk of the Big Three gradually fading away, the second-stringers think they desperately need a few big three-digit scores on their CV and be ready when the batting department floats the 8216;wants8217;.
Refreshingly, there have been few 8216;YAWN8217; knocks in dead draws so far this season since seven of these mega knocks have been match-winning efforts. But many say that it has been a match-saving effort that is the early leader of the 8216;knock of the season8217; contest.
Saurashtra8217;s Cheteshwar Pujara8217;s 148 not out in company of two tail-enders for more than two sessions on the final day of the Ranji game against Delhi at the Ferozeshah Kotla showed young India wasn8217;t just about spunk 8212; there was substance too. Ask Pujara about his resilience to stick around for six hours and he does mention Saurashtra8217;s semi-final dreams but he talks about the other race. 8220;One can8217;t afford to miss out on any opportunity since there are many trying to get into the India team. Batsmen have been scoring runs in the domestic season, so one can8217;t let the guard down,8221; he says.
In the lane next to Pujara happens to be Bengal batsman Manoj Tiwary. He has got a brief feel of the Indian dressing room but right now he is relishing the challenge of being a Grade D player. With a double hundred under belt, Tiwary knows his timing is perfect. 8220;This is the time to deliver, because you know your performance is going to be counted,8221; he said, pointing out to the Grade D contracts that act as a huge incentive for players to dream of a C-B-A transition.
While the contract does allow financial security but it isn8217;t all about money. 8220;People are watching. They have expectations and it8217;s all about exceeding them,8221; says Tiwary. Baroda all-rounder Yusuf Pathan did exceed expectation when he scored his 150-ball 183 during a brutal assault on Bengal. He wanted to show that his Twenty20 World Champion status shouldn8217;t be taken lightly or a lucky break.
8220;Last year was really frustrating when I had to sit out so I am happy with the way things are turning out now. But I know I have to be more careful now. Looking at the way competition is, you have to keep performing if you have to stay there. I cannot take anything for granted,8221; he said.
Coming from Irfan8217;s brother, one can understand those fears. And there are others in Grade D who too are well aware that cementing a place in the side is tougher than getting the big break. Mohammad Kaif, Parthiv Patel and Aakash Chopra have started the 2007 season with a century but it remains to be seen if they can continue their good run. After five consecutive tons for India A, Patel these days is busy tormenting the Plate division bowlers. A solid 158 means at the start of the season means he knows that it is only runs that can see the stumper aim high.
But the Grade D players need to watch their back as they aim high. The newest kids on the block too have started the season well and they have shown the willingness to challenge the seniors. Youngsters like Ravi Teja Hyderabad, Virat Kohli Delhi and Harshad Khadiwale Maharashtra 8212; both 19 going on 20 8212; have been impressive. Teja scored a crisp century against Punjab at Mohali, Kohli made 106 on a dodgy track at Kotla while Khadiwale made 146 against Tamil Nadu.
While Teja and Kohli say that they will wait for their turn, Kohli feels that it is a question of one big knock. 8220;Just the other day me along with my teammates were discussing that more than 20 centuries have been scored from two Ranji rounds. Definitely, by what one can see, there8217;s too much happening. I am sure a lot of these guys know how a good performance can always open up a lot of opportunities,8221; he feels. And that could mean an entry into the D company.
