CHENNAI: When R Smaran was given a bat and a ball by his parents to channel his restless energy as a child, little did he and his parents know that he would go all the way to New Zealand with it.
After piling on the runs in first-class cricket over the past two seasons for Karnataka, the left-handed batter's selection to the India A squad for three unofficial Tests against New Zealand A marks another milestone in his rising reputation. “The moment (of getting called up for India A) is something that I'm going to be very proud of throughout my life. But there is very little time for me to actually rejoice because I just want to play my best cricket, be it for the state or for the country. This (three unofficial Test matches) is a great opportunity for me to just continue playing my game and piling on the runs,” Smaran told this daily.
One of Smaran's key objectives has always been to keep scoring runs and stay in the middle for long. In this month so far, Smaran has scored a match-winning century (for Rest of India against Jammu and Kashmir in Irani Cup) and a century in a high-pressure Ranji Trophy match as Karnataka captain (against Andhra at Mulapadu). Asked whether the joy of scoring runs changes, he said: “The feeling (of scoring a ton) is the same. Obviously, getting out of a tough situation always gives you that extra satisfaction. But I won't differentiate between the knocks that I've played in the recent months and the knocks that I've played maybe a year or year and a half back."
In the first few days he has spent in the island nation, Smaran is relishing the challenge the pitches have posed. With India A set to play the New Zealand A team at Lincoln on Saturday, the southpaw will hope to make a mark. “The conditions are very different to what we get in India with the green wickets and it is actually fun; something new, and something that you've never faced before in your entire life and it's a very good challenge to look forward to,” he added.
During the tour, Smaran will have his Karnataka senior and India Test opener KL Rahul for guidance. "So, Devdutt (Padikkal) and I were just normally having a chat as to how the conditions are and he was just telling us that there's always a true bounce and there is always runs for batters as much as the bowlers are in the game and as long as you're having a positive intent and as long as you're playing out the new ball, the older ball comes on good to the bat is what he said,” he recounted. “Hopefully in the next few days we will actually pick his brains more about the conditions, but as we keep batting in nets, we get more familiar with what the situation is going to be like and we get similar wickets in the match. So, I feel the more we bat in nets, we get more used to how the conditions are over here,” he said.
Smaran, like any ambitious cricketer, would not want to stop with India A appearances. He felt that coming here is an important step to realising his dream of playing for the senior team. “Obviously, you're just one step closer to realising your dream. And as I always say, I want to keep it very simple and not keep any expectations of reaching a particular level. I’m just looking to play my best cricket and ensure that I win games for my team, and that's always how I've played my cricket,” he signed off.
