Abu Jayed: Virat Kohli is my biggest wicket of all

Bangladesh pacer Abu Jayed 'Rahi' is the talk of the town after dismissing the big four - Pujara, Rohit, Rahane and Kohli - in the Indore Test.

Published : Nov 19, 2019 13:21 IST , Indore

Bangladesh pacer Abu Jayed Rahi dismissed Virat Kohli in two balls in the Indore Test.
Bangladesh pacer Abu Jayed Rahi dismissed Virat Kohli in two balls in the Indore Test.
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Bangladesh pacer Abu Jayed Rahi dismissed Virat Kohli in two balls in the Indore Test.

Abu Jayed ‘Rahi’ is seen as Bangladesh’s new pace sensation; playing in his sixth Test match, first against India away from home. The swing bowler claimed the wickets of the big four — Rohit Sharma, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ajinkya Rahane and captain Virat Kohli to start the World Test Championship campaign on a high.

On the sidelines of Bangladesh’s pink ball training session, the 26-year-old — quiet and shy — opened up to  Sportstar  to talk dreams and aspirations. “If picking up wickets of big batsmen is an achievement, then it is the four of them indeed. They are world class batsmen, they have dominated bowlers around the world. Kohli and Rohit are from the highest level. It will perhaps help me break into the big league,” he assessed.

Being a newcomer, Rahi understands the importance of getting the in-form Rohit out. It pushed him to do better but Mayank Agarwal’s dropped catch at slip snatched his sleep that night. The India opener ended up scoring a double hundred the next day. “I got the confidence that I can probably get the Indian batsmen out. I was a little tense and I felt bad that Mayank’s catch was dropped. I could have finished with two wickets that day itself.”

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However, the next day morning came in as a blessing as he dismissed Kohli in two balls. “Thankfully, I never think of who I am bowling to. I just had to bowl in the right areas. It is a miracle to get Virat out in the second ball. It is a dream to get him out, my biggest wicket of all,” he said.

Rahi modelled his action following England fast bowler James Anderson; no big jump in delivery stride but a clean low arm action promising a lot of movement. As of now, he plans to meet India quick Mohammed Shami during the pink-ball Test to talk improvement. “I only follow bowlers with whom I find similarities like Shami  bhai . I really enjoyed his spell. His height and physical built is like us. He has invited me to his place in Kolkata for a chat. Since he understands Bengali, it is easier for me to talk to him.”

Having picked up five wickets in only his second ODI, Rahi was flown to England as a cover for the injury-prone Mustafizur Rahman and Rubel Hossain in the Cricket World Cup 2019. He is definitely the one for the future.

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