Shubman Gill, Mohammed Siraj: Debutants realise fathers’ dreams

India vs Australia 2nd Test: In the way their fathers backed them, Siraj and Gill’s stories are similar but their paths to the Test cap have been very different. Gill’s father Lakhwinder Singh had the means to support his son who has played youth cricket for India. Ghaus drove an autorickshaw for a living.

“It’s a very proud moment. For the past five weeks the atmosphere in our house has been very sad (after) we lost our biggest support, our father,” says Ismail Mohammed. He sobs softly before gathering himself.

Mohammed Siraj has played an ODI and three T20Is (Getty Images)

Looking to bounce back after the rout in Adelaide, India have made a series of changes to their playing XI including naming debutants Siraj and Shubman Gill for the second Test, which starts in Melbourne on Saturday. Pace bowler Siraj replaces the injured Mohammad Shami and Gill comes in for Prithvi Shaw who has been struggling for form.

In the way their fathers backed them, Siraj and Gill’s stories are similar but their paths to the Test cap have been very different. Gill’s father Lakhwinder Singh had the means to support his son who has played youth cricket for India. Ghaus drove an autorickshaw for a living.

India vs Australia 2nd Test live score Day 1

Ghaus died on November 20. Conversations have been difficult because Siraj has been disconsolate, says Ismail, but quarantine protocols meant he would have missed the Melbourne Test had he returned home in Hyderabad.

“For the last month whenever I spoke to him, he just cried. But, the support of the team management, Virat “bhai”, Shastri Sir have kept him strong and encouraged him. It (Test debut) will mean a lot to him. So, this will be a slightly happy moment for us,” says Ismail over phone from Hyderabad.

Siraj stayed back in Australia because his mother reminded him of his father’s dream, says Ismail. “My father must be really happy today. He wanted Siraj to make him and the nation proud. Whatever we are today, we owe it to the hard work of our parents; a lot to my father’s support. It is not easy to heal,” says Ismail.

Siraj, 26, was a tennis ball cricketer who got hooked to the game after helping his school win an inter-school tournament. His first full season with the Hyderabad Ranji side was in 2016. Deceptive pace and the ability to move the ball meant Siraj’s rise has been rapid since.

“When he gets the India cap tomorrow morning (Saturday), (the) first thing he will do is look up to the heavens. His brother’s dream, his mother’s dream, my dream was that he play for India but his father was the one who used to take him in his autorickshaw when he didn’t any means of travelling,” says Adnan Baffan. Siraj plays for Baffan’s club Sporting XI in Hyderabad’s three-day Premier Division.

In an interview on the Indian cricket’s board website, Siraj says: “My dad always used to say ‘mere beta, desh ka naam roshan karna’ (my son, make the country proud). And, I will, for sure!”

Special day for Gills

By the time Lakhwinder and Keart Gill visit the local gurudwara in Mohali on Saturday, the Test would have started but it is a ritual they follow every time their son plays.

Marked out as a batting talent early in his career, the question with Gill, 21, has been when and not if he will play the longest format. His first-class average after 23 games is 68.78 and Gill has already scored seven hundreds. He scored 43 and 65 in the pink-ball tour game ahead of the Adelaide Test but was overlooked for Shaw who has played five Tests.

WATCH: Jadeja avoids collision with debutant Gill to take a brilliant catch

Lakhwinder, Gill’s his first coach, will be following the first day’s action on television with his wife at their home. “It will be a very special day for our family. Even my parents Didar Singh and Gurmel Kaur will be hooked to the TV in our village in Punjab. I hope I’m not nervous when he comes to bat. I tend to switch off the TV sometimes and see the recording later. Shubi has done well in the practice matches. Hopefully, he should have a memorable debut,” says Lakhwinder.

The Gills are from Chak Jaimal Singh Wala village in Punjab’s Fazilka district. They moved to Mohali in 2007 in search of better cricket opportunities for their son.

“God has been kind. It was not easy shifting base and leaving parents. But his hard work and determination paid off. I hope he is not over-aggressive when he comes to bat and sees the new ball for a while and then plans his innings,” says Lakhwinder.

“I’m following two things these days on TV: one is India’s games in Australia and the second is the farmers’ agitation. Seeing the farmers’ plight is painful. I hope Shubman’s debut game will bring big cheer to us,” says Lakhwinder who is from a family of land-owning farmers. A bad back cut short his participation in the farmers’ protests near Delhi, he says.