“I’m always excited to take the field and take every match as my first,” says a very enthusiastic Navdeep Saini who will feature for Delhi in the Ranji Trophy fixture against Puducherry scheduled to begin on 5th January at the Arun Jaitley Stadium. Saini pointed out the importance of the Ranji Trophy and how it helps the players to enhance their skill set.
“I’m always excited to take the field. The way I used to be when I started playing, I have the same feeling to date. I take every game as my first,” he says while talking to reporters ahead of the first game.
“See, Ranji Trophy is a big tournament. If you talk about Indian domestic cricket, the level is really good. You have to put in your A game. So, to get the desired results, you have to put in a lot of efforts. Also, there is a lot to learn when you play domestic cricket,” adds Saini.
Delhi will also have the services of Ishant Sharma for most of the home games. Saini lauded the tall fast bowler and added that his experience brings a lot to the table.
“I have been playing with Ishant (Sharma) bhaiya from the very starting. He has played 100 Tests and he has got a lot of experience. So, whenever you sit with him, you get to learn a lot. We generally talk about cricket only and how I can work on my skills,” says Saini.
‘Ultimate goal is to serve the country’
Saini has been out of action from the Test side for quite some time but his eventual goal is to play for the nation again. He recently played for India A vs South Africa and will be looking to put his red ball journey back on track.
“Look, ups and downs are part and parcel of the game and I can’t really do much about the injuries. I try to give 100 percent on my fitness, my lifestyle and try to tick all the boxes. The dream is to play for India. Of course, I have represented the country but the ultimate goal is to do that again and serve the nation,” says Saini.
The right-hander was included in the squad for the West Indies tour but didn’t get to play a game and later didn’t find a place for himself for the South Africa tour. Saini admitted that it is a bit disappointing but added that he would rather continue to focus on his game.
“I was there in the West Indies tour but then my name wasn’t there for the South African tour. Probably, the team management was looking for something different like giving a chance to youngsters or something of that sorts. But I take this as a motivation as well. There are two things about it. Either I can just be disappointed on not getting the call-up or put in more hard work and prepare myself for the next assignment.
“Of course, you feel disappointed. If you get dropped after not performing, it’s okay. But if you don’t get a chance and then this happens, then it’s a bit disappointing for sure. But again as I said I focus on putting in more hard work because that’s the only thing I can do,” says the 31-year-old.
County culture
Saini had been signed by Worcestershire last year. Saini was to play four fixtures for the club that plays in Division Two of the County Championship until the end of July but his India call-up for the West Indies tour had shortened his stint with the side. His trip to the Caribbean ensured he would miss three of the four matches that he was supposed to appear in.
Sharing his experience, Saini talked about the difference in conditions and the small tweaks that he made in his bowling.
“The conditions are pretty different. They use a Duke ball. The wickets are sometimes green and at times pretty flat. One major factor is that the weather changes quickly there. For instance, if there is sunlight, the wicket becomes flat, then, if the weather changes a bit, the ball starts to move. So, the learning is to adapt to the situation quickly. The amount of cricket I played there, I didn’t really face any problems to get adjusted within the team. I got a very good treatment,” says Saini.
The seamer added that basics remained the same and some adjustments in lengths are needed.
“The basics remain same. The main point is that how persistent are you in following a certain drill. Talking about County, I agree that you have to bowl a touch fuller if the weather and conditions are there,” Saini further adds.
Game time is important
Saini hasn’t really played much of red-ball cricket in the recent past and the fast bowler admitted that game time is crucial to stay into that groove.
“In the last two years, I have majorly played one-day cricket and T20s. Game time is surely a very important thing because you can only improve your skills while playing the game,” he concludes.
Comments
0 comment