It was soft, it didn’t even have a seam, nor was it the right size but it was a cricket ball nonetheless. And moreover, it carried the roots of Navdeep Saini. The tennis ball may have gone far away from Navdeep the cricketer but it never left Navdeep the person. A couple of steps, a few rolling the arms over and the memories came sprinting in – the same household, the same tennis ball and the same idea to bowl fast. There are differences though, in his height – now at 5 ft 10”, in his attire – a practice jersey with an India logo and of course in his control over the ball – much precise, well-directed and yet versatile.
The 21-day nation-wide lockdown due to novel coronavirus pandemic has time-travelled India pacer Navdeep Saini into his childhood when life meant cricket and bowling meant gunning down pots with tennis balls in his angan (courtyard).
“Tab chhota tha jo jagah mil jati thi ball dalne k liye (Didn’t require much room to bowl when I was a kid,” Navdeep told Hindustan Times in an exclusive interview from his house in Karnal, Haryana.
Like everyone else, the virus outbreak has kept Navdeep confined to his house but not away from cricket. “As far as bowling is concerned, I can never live without it, I’m doing it with tennis balls,” said Navdeep.
Bowling with a full run-up – as long as Navdeep’s – and completing his action is not possible at his courtyard now but it is certainly enough to keep him close to cricket. “Jitna bhi hota hai thik hai, feel aa jati hai aur halki practice bhi (Satisfied with whatever practice I’m getting, I just get the feel).”
The feel of the cricket ball, be it small or big, red or white, leather or tennis, has kept Navdeep Saini going all this while and even in lockdown, it is his biggest companion.
If tennis balls are helping him not lose bowling rhythm, running and exercise are keeping him fit. “I have made all the arrangements at home. Have been training, doing exercise on a daily basis to keep myself fit.”
But the right-arm fast bowler, who made his debut against West Indies last year and impressed with his pace, bounce and abilities to stifle the batsmen with his yorkers towards the end, has another side to him, the one of a son to his parents, a companion to his cousins and joyful company to his friends.
“Yes we are under lockdown but it’s not like we are in a prison. We are at home spending time with parents, which is rare and we should treat this with positivity,” added Navdeep.
It is rare indeed. The last 12 months or so has been hectic, to say the least for India’s new pace sensation. The only time he was not with the Indian team was when he was nursing an injury at the NCA late in 2019, which obviously meant his time at home was limited to two-three days at best.
“The one good thing is I’m getting time for my family. We cricketers generally don’t get time. The kind of situation we are in now, we can actually keep our family safe by staying close to them, making them aware, inform them on how to keep themselves safe from the virus,” added Navdeep.
Human first, then a cricketer
Under normal circumstances, Navdeep would have been busy restricting the batsmen at Chinnaswamy Stadium for RCB but this year there is a chance that IPL might not even take place due to the coronavirus pandemic.
“IPL is one of the biggest tournaments, so no doubt it will be disappointing if it doesn’t happen. But the kind of situation we are in, health is more important. Before being cricketers, we are human beings. If we humans survive, only then we can think about cricket in future. So it’s not that big an issue that cricket is not happening,” said Saini.
Never say die attitude
The word negative doesn’t exist in Navdeep’s dictionary. No IPL, no problem. No professional cricket, no problem. No assistance on the pitch, no problem.
The same positivity, confidence and never say die attitude oozed when he walked up to bowl the 19th over of the 4th T20I against New Zealand with the hosts needing just 11 runs. He gave away 4 in his over which gave Shardul Thakur a chance. He bowled an equally good last over stretching the match into a Super Over which India won.
“The important thing is to keep learning. At the international level, it’s a game of centimetres and millimetres and it doesn’t matter whether I’m playing an ODI or a T20I, the basics are the same, it’s all about the mindset.
“I have played nothing so far. There is a long way to go. That’s why I treat every match as my debut. Representing my country is the biggest thing, I perform treating every match as my last,” said Saini.
