The most important takeaway from the second half of the Perth ODI on Tuesday for India was the debutant Barinder Sran, who made a big statement inside his first three overs by sending back two of the most deadly opening batsmen in world cricket- David Warner and Aaron Finch.
He then returned during the death overs and got Steve Smith caught at the boundary to pick up his third. However, it was too late by then, as Smith along with George Bailey had already pocketed the game for Australia through their brilliant counter-attacking centuries.
While the 23-year old’s first wicket was that of Finch, who he dismissed by taking an acrobatic return catch bending low, what really pumped him up, as was evident through his celebrations, was his second wicket- that of David Warner- who he got out caught at mid-on.
“The first wicket gave me immense joy and at the same time released a lot of pressure off me. It gave me more confidence to do well ahead. Getting the priced scalp of Warner was important and it happened in the very next over. I was overjoyed to get such a big player's wicket which got me pumped up,” said the cricketer from Punjab, taking to bcci.tv.
Getting the India cap an amazing feeling: Sran
The left-arm bowler finished with match figures of 3/56 in 9.2 overs, after being handed the India cap by his captain MS Dhoni before the tie. “When I was in that huddle receiving the cap from Mahi bhai, it was as if my dream was turning into a reality.”
“Every member in the team told me that I will do well and encouraged me to do well with the ball. It was an amazing feeling.”
At first, he looked calm and composed after being handed over the new ball to open the attack on debut- a remarkable trait of showing no nerves, especially at a stage as big as it has always been down under.
“I was very clear about how to bowl when I ran in to bowl the first over. It was about putting all the hard work into practice and keeping things simple and not try anything fancy. I feel I did well in the early stages of the game and got two wickets for my side.”
I could have bowled better: Sran
It came as a surprise, though, that Sran, who took wickets apart from bowling economically in his first 6 overs, was brought into the attack again only at the death, when the match was all but decided.
The Indian admitted, nevertheless, that he lost his rhythm a bit during the slog overs, as a few of his slow bouncers didn’t go as he had planned them to, giving away extra runs as wides. “I did get wayward towards the end of the match. I feel I could have bowled better.”
“I did try to bowl a few slower bouncers which didn’t quite go my way, but I will put in more effort so that I can do better in the future. It feels good to pick three on ODI debut, but had we broken the Smith-Bailey partnership earlier, the result could have been different. My aim will be to bowl at the right areas in the forthcoming matches.”
The left-arm bowlers have always been special for India as they have all looked promising on their arrivals. Zaheer Khan, Ashish Nehra, Irfan Pathan, RP Singh et al were breathtaking when the world saw them first.
While all of them couldn’t keep their place in the side, India would definitely hope that this young man ceartainly goes the distance.
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