HYDERABAD: Born in Vijayawada, Andhra Pradesh, the Netherlands all-rounder Anil Teja Nidamanuru felt like home when he visited the Rajiv Gandhi International Cricket Stadium in Hyderabad on Thursday.
At the age of six, Teja had moved to Auckland, New Zealand with his mother Padmavathi Pallekona as she had got a job there. But before the big shift, Teja got to stay with his grandparents - Pitchia Shastri and Samraga Lakshmi Pallekona - in Vijayawada because his mother was studying and working in Singapore. It was here he developed the love for cricket when his grandfather bought him his first cricket bat.
"Hyderabad used to be in Andhra, coming here is like coming home to me," the middler-order batter and right-arm off-break bowler told this daily on the eve of his team's clash against Pakistan. "I lived here for a while when I was a kid. I have a family here as well. My mom's sister and her family live here in Hyderabad. So, they are close relatives. Went to the stadium yesterday (Thursday). It's a really lovely stadium, we are really excited to play there as a team and me as an individual as well. Coming back to Hyderabad, speaking Telugu a little bit and getting used to everything does feel like home definitely."
After scoring that quickfire hundred against West Indies in a World Cup Qualifier match in Harare, Zimbabwe, which eventually his team won in the Super Over, the 29-year-old cricketer had wished for his team's qualification for the marquee event so that he can play in front of his family. It came true as the Dutch qualified for the ODI World Cup.
With the first two matches of Netherlands scheduled to be held in Hyderabad, Teja was more than happy to invite his family to the ground, and they duly obliged as they also had never watched a match from the stands. Around 40 of his relatives and friends including mother, aunt, little sister, nephew and brother-in-law visited the facility as Teja made his ODI World Cup debut in front of them.
"My immediate family lives in Vijayawada and they are definitely coming to watch the match on October 6 and 9 as well against New Zealand. So that will be very proud and amazing moment for me and also for them because they have never been to a live cricket game before. It will be quite a unique experience for many different reasons and I am really looking forward to having them in the stands and support me and the team. I hope we do really well," he had said on Thursday.
Speaking on the World Cup, Teja is confident of his team's chances. Notably, they are featuring in the tournament for the first time since 2011, which incidentally was also co-hosted by India. "Our preparations have been thorough and planned out as best as possible with resources we have. The coaches are extremely organised in preparing us for what's ahead of us. Bengaluru spin camp was really good. It gave us an insight into what pitches can be like in the Indian conditions. Also training at the M Chinnaswamy Stadium, gave us an idea in terms of how to bat, at what pace the spinners should bowl, what sort of variations will be effective, how should we look to use those. The other aspect to this is acclimatising to weather, heat and also the humidity. So, I think this stands us in a very good position. So, our preparations were carefully thought of which is really nice. We are as prepared as we can be. We are very much looking forward to playing here."
The Dutch side had registered quite a few shock victories whenever they featured in big tournaments like the ODI or T20 World Cups. Teja, however, says the goal this time is to qualify for the semifinals. "The Netherlands have played some big countries and also beaten quite a few of them whether its T20 WC or ODI WC. Look there is every opportunity that we beat the big teams because it's not much about us being a giant slayer, it's about us playing our brand of cricket. We have a brand of cricket that we are trying to play out there. It has proven to be successful obviously in the qualifier, against West Indies and other big nations as well. We have a taste of it even while playing against Sri Lanka. We believe that we are in a good place, and we love to not only just beat a big nation but also try to make it to the semifinals. Every team must have an aspiration and our aspiration is to make it to the semifinal. Some might think how Netherlands can make it, but we have a team, we have plans and if we follow them, I think we are going to play good consistent cricket and then we will see where that takes us this world cup."
One of the good things about the team is an array of all-rounders it consists of. Teja feels the presence of such good all-rounders balances the team. "Having good quality all-rounders definitely balances the team, Bas de Leede is the top 10 all-rounders in the world if you ask me, we have also got Colin Ackermann who has been playing some really good cricket and bowls really well. We have got Logan van Beek who is a quality all-rounder lower down the order. It adds a lot of balance and gives the team quite a lot of flexibility."
The only thing which can peg back the Dutch in the tournament is their inexperience of playing in Indian conditions especially their tweakers. But Teja believes his team has done its homework properly to be successful in India. "The Dutch haven't played in India that much. But those first six balls we are gonna ball, understanding and analysis and using previous data at this ground because cricket has become very much data driven and analysis driven. I think we will have the right information, and for us it will all come down to execution. The spinners are practising really hard. I truly think they are a young and talented group. We are adaptable so I fully back our spinners to go pick up wickets for us in the middle overs."
His Indian connection must be coming handy if his teammates need help. Teja says he is more than ready to lend his services whenever they are required. "There (weather and food) are things you need to get adjusted to. There are certain factors, as you said food and weather, I am just trying to let them figure out as they are adults and they know what they need to do. Yeah, if they have questions, I will just try to answer them. With the IPL and people we have in the camp, the guys know what they are up to. India is a great place, all I know is its dynamic, there is a lot going on, each time I come back here it gains more respect from me."
Teja is looking forward to playing against former India skipper Virat Kohli as he admires him a lot. "Personally, I am someone who has admired and respected Virat Kohli hugely. It's really nice to play against such a quality player who is one of the best players to have played the game. How could you not look forward to play against someone like that and competing against someone like that. As an athlete that's what you want to do," he signed off.