Tamil Nadu batter Pradosh Ranjan Paul had a dream start to his India A career after smashing 163 on debut against South Africa A in Potchefstroom on Wednesday.
The left-handed batter’s knock helped India A take a 98-run first-innings lead against the host in the match, which ended in a draw on Thursday.
The 23-year-old had a good Ranji Trophy last year where he scored three centuries. Earlier this year, he was part of the India A squad for the ACC Men’s Emerging Teams Asia Cup in Sri Lanka.
“I have been dreaming of this for a long time. It felt special to wear that jersey, and I have been excited about this tour since my name was announced. I did not get to play in Sri Lanka, so finally making my India A debut was great,” said Pradosh to Sportstar on Thursday.
Pradosh’s knock included 23 boundaries and a six, and he got his runs off just 209 balls. “I loved the extra bounce on the pitch because I like to play the punches and upper-cuts. When they pitched it up, the ball held a bit, and it was two-paced. Importantly, I looked to attack the spinners and did not want them to get settled. I am happy I did well, but I should have made it a double,” said Pradosh about his knock.
Though he last played a red-ball game in the TNCA first division league in August, Pradosh felt he was able to adapt to the longer format quickly. “I just focussed more on my mental game, like what shots I need to play, what to avoid, how to see off a spell, and generally trying to be disciplined. I practised with the red ball a bit before coming and had a very good first net session here. It made me believe that I belonged at this level,” said Pradosh.
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