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Often when a young male cricketer rises from oblivion to receive his first call-up for India, there's a divulge of reactions from the public. Frenetic searches of videos of his playing style on the internet, rummaging of his first-class records and finally theories of whether he could be the "next big thing".
Arzan Nagwaswalla had it no different. A lanky 23-year-old from Gujarat's Nargol getting selected as a reserve for India's crucial tour of England came as a surprise to many. The reactions were starker because Arzan Nagwaswalla is a rare talent - a left-arm swing bowler who can nab the ball both ways.
Add to that a pace of 135kmph, an easy-sledding action and a vicious bouncer, the excitement is self explanatory.
On the back of these skills, Arzan has picked up 62 wickets in his 16-match first class career at an average of 22.53. The numbers are even better in shorter formats: An average of 21.76 in List A and a staggering 16.38 in T20s.
But the question remains. What does he possess that his predecessors didn't? Can he, unlike many other left-arm fast bowlers that India has tried in the last few years, show consistency to maintain his place at the highest level?
In an exclusive chat with Sportskeeda, Arzan Nagwaswalla answered this question, explained India's struggles with left-arm pace, gave an insight into his mindset and much more.
Excrepts from Arzan Nagwaswalla's exclusive interview with Sportskeeda
Q. Congratulations on your selection. How do you feel about being with the Indian team for the first time, preparing for your first tour?
Arzan Nagwaswalla: I'm feeling great. In fact, it’s very exciting to meet everyone one by one. Koi bhi yahan vahan dikh ja raha hai. (I'm seeing everyone here and there). Very exciting and a bit of a learning curve as well. Nervousness isn’t too much but I'm excited for sure.
Q. Did you receive a formal/informal welcome from the teammates?
Arzan Nagwaswalla: For now, everyone is in quarantine. Whoever I am meeting is either at the gym or having breakfast. The team haven’t been able to get together yet. All that will only happen when we reach England.
Q. Let's come to your bowling style. Parthiv Patel was quoted as saying recently that you are like a "faster version" of Chetan Sakariya. Do you think this assessment is correct?
Arzan Nagwaswalla: How could his assessment be wrong? (chuckles). He has been with me since I made my first strides in cricket. I made all my debuts under him. He knows me better than I know myself!
Q. India have seen so many left-arm fast bowlers in recent years but most of them haven't been able to leave their mark. What do you think you are bringing to the table that could be different from them?
Arzan Nagwaswalla: There's nothing much different between us. But everybody has their own strengths. It's just how you believe in your strengths that matters.
Q. You stayed with the Mumbai Indians during IPL 2021 as a net bowler. How was the experience and did you get some memorable advice from Zaheer Khan?
Arzan Nagwaswalla: A lot of people gave me advice. As you said, Zaheer sir was there. We talked a lot during practice and on the field off the field. He and Rohit [Sharma] bhai as well. Also, Jasprit [Bumrah] bhai was there, and he’s also from Gujarat, so he knew a bit about me already. So it was great, I shared a good bond with those guys and it was a good learning opportunity.
Q. You have said that Zaheer Khan is your idol. If there's one thing that you would like to adopt from his bowling, what would it be?
Arzan Nagwaswalla: It will only be his mentality. How he used to prepare mentally for his matches - because he played well for India in every format. That and also how to always approach my game with a stable mindset.
Q. In your career with Gujarat and your stint with MI, which batsman have you found most difficult to bowl against?
Arzan Nagwaswalla: When I was with MI, I didn’t get to bowl as much to Rohit Sharma, Quinton de Kock and those guys because they were mostly confined to the main team's practice sessions. From my experience, Suryakumar Yadav looked to be in best touch. Obviously, he was coming off a good debut for India as well. He was in great touch and the most difficult to bowl against.
Q. Whenever a new young player gets selected for India, there’s often an outcry over senior players not getting their chances. Do you think it’s justified?
Arzan Nagwaswalla: I think this is all a matter of time. It’s not mandatory that a senior player should always get a chance, or a youngster should always get one. Whoever the selectors think is a good fit should get a chance in the team whether he’s a senior or junior.
Q. You recently talked about helping the team in the nets by emulating Neil Wagner and Trent Boult’s bowling in the nets. This also, in a way, underlines the fact that Indian batsmen have often struggled against left-arm pacers. Being one yourself, what do you think is the reason for this?
Arzan Nagwaswalla: I don’t think our batsmen have struggled that much against left-arm fast bowlers. Still, left-arm fast bowlers are very rare, especially in India, and they (the batsmen) probably don’t get to play them as much so that could be one reason why they might face some problems. But I don’t think anyone will face any issues as such. And about that Boult and Wagner thing, I only mean that I want to help the team and our batsmen prepare in any way I can.
Q. You will now travel as a reserve bowler. What do you think your chances are in England, especially if there are any injuries? Because the conditions will suit your bowling perfectly.
Arzan Nagwaswalla: Yeah, that’s right, definitely. But it isn’t in my hands that someone will get injured or not. In fact, no one will ever want someone to get injured just to get a chance to play. But as I said, it’s a matter of time. If I ever get a chance, I can only make sure I'm ready for it. I only want to prepare for that moment in this tour.
Q. Like you, T Natarajan also toured Australia as a reserve bowler and the flight his career took from there was exceptional. Do you find that inspirational?
Arzan Nagwaswalla: [Yes], Me and Nattubhai have a very similar story. We both belong to small cities. He had a really good tour where he made his debut in all formats which doesn’t happen often for any player. I feel that it was the perfect time for him to debut and play for India.
Q. Now that you have received your maiden India call-up, do you think an IPL contract could be near as well?
Arzan Nagwaswalla: I don’t think about that much (laughs). I feel that everything will happen with time. Time aayega toh sab kuch set hojayega. (When my time arrives, everything will fall into place). I just have to focus on this tour now and be ready for any opportunity that comes my way and that’s what I will practice for.
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