'Fearless' J&K cricketers ready to break new ground
The young team has won three matches on the trot, and coach Ajay Sharma believes there's more in store.
Jammu & Kashmir coach Ajay Sharma describes them as a “fearless bunch." Considering how they have gone about their business in ongoing Vijay Hazare Trophy, the domestic 50-over tournament, it is an apt description.
On Tuesday, at the DY Patil Stadium here, they beat Nagaland by 99 runs to record their third consecutive win and top Elite Group D with 12 points. That came on the back of comprehensive wins over much formidable opponents in Ranji champions Madhya Pradesh, against whom they chased down 343 with ease, and Baroda, who they beat by 94 runs.
While former India batter and Delhi stalwart Sharma plays down the expectations around his team, they are within striking distance of making it to the knockouts. They next face Punjab, who demolished Baroda on Tuesday, before squaring-off against Odisha and Uttarakhand.
“When I took over coaching responsibility, I told them that J&K should be a targeted team. People should think that we have to beat them at any cost now. After beating MP, it is turning into a reality. It’s not a small thing to chase 340-plus total. That win gave us momentum and doubled our confidence. I’m enjoying what they are dishing out,” said Sharma.
They have some exciting players in their ranks. Abdul Samad is the team’s key batter and he is leading from the front with two half-centuries in three matches. Left-handed opener Vivrant Sharma, 23, playing just his second season, also has two 50-plus scores in his kitty. So does wicketkeeper Fazil Rashid, who scored an 86-ball 87 to help J&K post 295/9 against Nagaland after they were reduced to 80/5.
Rashid shared a 113-run stand with hard-hitting left-hander Abid Mushtaq (62, 44b), who is quite handy with his left-arm orthodox having already taken seven wickets in the tournament. In the bowling department, Yudvir Singh, who was part of the Mumbai Indians’ set-up, and Auqib Nabi have the ability to trouble any batting line-up.
Sharma admitted that the team’s strength is their batting. “We bat deep till No 9, No 10. Even if we lose early wickets, we have players down the order to score big runs. Even Chandrakant Pandit (MP coach) was surprised by the depth in our batting line-up,” said Sharma, who coached Delhi under-19 last year before taking up the J&K duty which is his first assignment as senior team coach.
Sharma first saw the signs of how good this team is during the Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 tournament even though they just won one of their seven matches. The only thing they lacked was the finishing touch which Sharma worked on before the beginning of Vijay Hazare Trophy by making them realise that how good they are.
"I keep telling them if you have so much talent why can't we achieve what other teams can. I tell them to not think of future or past, stay in the present, start from where you are standing. When you have players who give everything and play for the team, it becomes easy. Teams like Delhi, Mumbai, Karnataka, once they sniff a chance, they don’t let go of it. During Mushtaq Ali, we weren’t able to do that. But they have quickly bounced back from that. Everyone knows what their role is and why he has been picked up,” added Sharma.
Sharma might be a novice when it comes to coaching at the highest level but he his using learnings from his vast playing career, which saw him score 10,000-plus first class runs. Then, there are lessons he picked from seniors like Mohinder Amarnath, Madan Lal, Surinder Khanna and his coach, late Tarak Sinha, to guide the young J&K side.
"We have a very small bunch to choose from but the players are very talented. Within a couple of years, if they deliver on their potential, they will develop into a very good side. One thing I like about them is that they are fearless. Whichever team they face, they are not afraid of them,” Sharma said.