THE ANONYMOUS CRICKETER

Today, for no particularly compelling reason, I will write on my favourite Cricketers. I’ve spent a large chunk of my life within 22 yards of turf doing peculiar things with a piece of leather and a stick of English wood. These activities, repeated over a number of years have afforded me an insiders view into the wonderfully whimsical world of sub-continental Cricket. Also, I have been fortunate enough to play Cricket at an elite and highly competitive level and am thus in a position to write about some very interesting Cricketers. But today’s post is not about the bug guns I have played with (and for those doubting Tommie, I have played with a few). In fact, this post is dedicated to the many talented Cricketers whom I have been fortunate enough to play with and of who’s exploits I still maintain very fond recollections, but who are largely unknown to the masses. Because I have played most of my Cricket in and around Pune, most of the names mentioned below are from this belt. I know there are many other talented Cricketers but these are the ones on whom I can write with some authority. So eschewing this urge to ramble on I’ll jump straight into it.
Batsmen
Dheeraj Jadhav: DJ used to play at Chembur Gymkhana in Mumbai and that’s where I first saw him bat. I remember thinking of him as a good ‘attacking’ opening batsman. If anyone has seen DJ bat in the recent past, then he/she will agree that DJ is compact but slow. He takes his time to score and is in no hurry. Sir Neville Cardus, the prince of Cricket prose might have compared DJ’s scoring rate to that of growing grass. However, in 1994 (at Chembur), he was an attacking batsman. I think a couple of things changed him. Firstly, his father passed away and he moved to Pune. Secondly, after a couple of years away from Cricket, he resumed playing under the wise eyes of that batting wizard, Milind Gunjal. The next thing I know, Dheeraj was playing for Club of Maharashtra in the club leagues in Pune. It is there that he acquired his reputation as a slowcoach. He has scored runs by the tons and the long and short of it is that he is now in the reckoning for a place in the national squad. What do I like about him as a batsman? Certainly he is no Afridi or Sehwag, but he does possess the left-handers grace. Again, as a connoisseur, what excite me are not the big hits but the technique and I think DJ has one of the soundest techniques going around. Also, the way he leaves the ball is a delight to watch. Even the way he leaves a bouncer...a lot of people duck under a bouncer but not only does Dheeraj duck under the ball, he also continues watching it till it thuds into the keepers mitts. That’s a very comforting sign and a mark of class.
Kaushik Aphale: The first time I remember watching KA bat was in the under – 16’s at Delhi, and to be honest, I thought him a good batsman but not a great one. However, when I moved base to Pune, I saw him more and more and his batting grew on me. A languid style and easy grace are his characteristics, not only in batting but in fielding as well. He has ample of time to play the ball. Technically sound but also an attacking batsman. Unfortunately, he does not put as much price on his wicket as Dheeraj does. Dheeraj will bat the whole day and return with a well compiled but largely unexciting 125 n.o. But Kaushik will go out and return by lunch after a hurricane 70. That’s the difference. However, I mustn’t mislead my audience into thinking that Kaushik is all hammer and tongs. In fact, he is an artist, sublime...almost poetic. Rarely will one see him hit a shot in anger, yet most balls he hits fairly scorch the turf before resurfacing beyond the ropes.
KA is currently playing for the Maharashtra Ranji squad. His performance differs season to season. If the season starts well for him, he will continue in that vein, but if he has a shaky start, the poor form will in all probability stay with him through most of the season. That’s the way he is, if the opposition allow him to settle, he is as dangerous as anyone playing the game, but he is a little susceptible early on.
Nikhil Pande: Not only is NP one of my close friends, he is also a batsman I greatly admire and enjoy watching. We’ve played together at PYC in Pune for a number of years and time has not diminished the sheer joy I feel when I watch him play a good knock. And I have watched him play a few batting at the other end, for we have shared some good partnerships over the years.
NP is an attacking batsman but the one thing I can think about him is his persistent ill luck. Nothing else can explain his absence from the Maharashtra Ranji squad. His performance in the domestic leagues over the last 2-3 seasons has been spectacular and many ‘not as worthy’ souls have donned the Maharashtra cap in these seasons. However, NP is a fighter and I expect him to break into the squad soon.
Pankaj Phalke: A name that will undoubtedly raise a few brows. But in my book, PP is one of the most talented batsmen around. I am not sure if he is still playing Cricket actively. He used to play for Aurangabad and my first encounter with him was in a district level U-19 match. I was bowling with the new ball and had already taken two wickets, so my tail was up. The first ball I bowled to him was a short, quick one slightly outside the off stump in the hope that he would poke at it and edge it, much like the earlier batsmen. What followed however, was a square cut of the finest quality. The fielders did not move as the ball raced beyond the ropes. I remember thinking that this guy in good. In times to come, he proved to be even better than expected. A quick eye and nimble feet meant that he could, on his day, make the best attack look pedestrian. However, his temperament lets him down. His inningss' would be a joy to behold, but they would be disappointingly short lived.
Anyhow, that’s it on the batsmen for now. More on the bowlers in another post.