HYDERABAD: The diminutive Abhinav Kumar drew himself to his full height at the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium on Wednesday. He was listening to none other the legendary Australian wicketkeeper Adam Gilchrist, who was giving some useful tips on keeping to the Hyderabad stumper.
“I’m lucky to have someone like Gilchrist as my teammate. It is a great opportunity to play for Deccan Chargers.
It will surely improve my game,” said Abhinav, who is looking to cement his place in the Hyderabad Ranji team this season.
According to Abhinav, Gilchrist, who is the captain of the Deccan Chargers team, emphasised on good technique and hard work. “He asked me to practice a lot at the nets with the glove. He showed me the footwork and movement required of a wicketkeeper,” said Abhinav.
Gilchrist felt Abhinav was a good student. For left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha it will be another acid test.
“I’m looking forward to this tournament,” said the Hyderabad spinner who has been ignored by the national selectors despite a splendid performance in the World Cup Twenty20 tournament in England.
Ojha was one of the leading wicket takers in the IPL-2 edition in South Africa. Ojha is hoping to make a comeback into the Indian team with strong performances in this tournament.
“He is a quality bowler. He is a match-winner,” said coach Darren Lehmann. Ojha is aware that the wickets in India will be different.
“They will be more batsmen friendly.
I need to be accurate in my four overs.
I have to vary my line and length in these testing conditions,” said the left-arm spinner.
Playing alongside players like VVS Laxman, Gilchrist has also been very beneficial. “They are world class players. Their experience will do a world of good to my confidence,” said Ojha.