Just a week ago, Avesh Khan was running in full tilt to unsettle the batters in the Indian Premier League 2021. The Delhi Capitals fast bowler finished the second-highest wicket-taker — 14 wickets in eight games — in the first half of the tournament.
And on Friday, the boy from Indore earned his maiden international call-up. He is part of the jumbo squad for the World Test Championship final against New Zealand followed by the five-match series in England.
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Avesh’s game preparation had started before the IPL and at present, he is in the best mindset. “It feels good to make the Indian team. I worked on my length balls and slowers before the IPL. That helped gain confidence.
“I was mentally prepared to play to the situation because Kagiso Rabada and Anrich Nortje were not supposed to be around initially and that time, Ishant Sharma had an injury too. I had a feeling I could get a chance,” he told Sportstar on Friday.
If the 24-year-old gets a game, he will be the first player from Madhya Pradesh after Naman Ojha to play Test cricket for India. “I will control the things I can and be focussed. There will be 100 per cent commitment in everything that I do.”
‘High intensity sessions’
Bengal batsman Abhimanyu Easwaran, who is an India A regular, feels it is a great opportunity to imbibe knowledge from the greats of the game. The right-hander was part of the reserves in the home series against England and this time around, he is excited to fly overseas.
Completely smitten by the high-intensity training sessions at home, Abhimanyu wants to make the most of it in the UK. “We had only heard about it. We got to know how Virat Kohli, Rohit Sharma and Cheteshwar Pujara practice. They are very specific. They just do what they would be doing in the match. And when you actually see them do the same thing the next day, it feels great.
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“If I can improve as a player in that tour, that will be good. And if I get an opportunity, I will make the most of it,” he said. Both Avesh and Abhimanyu have been picked in the standby list alongside fast bowlers Prasidh Krishna and Arzan Nagwaswalla.
And since the Border-Gavaskar Trophy in 2020-21, where T. Natarajan, Washington Sundar and Shardul Thakur emerged heroes, every player has to believe that he stands a chance to make it to the XI. There is still no clarity on the travel dates and arrangements amid the second wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.
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