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who doesn’t know Yashasvi Jaiswal today? This young player has impressed in a very short time. Jaiswal has recently scored many runs in the test series against Australia. Regarding the young opener’s recent streak, his childhood coach Jwala Singh participated in an exclusive conversation with Cricket Times. During this, he gave his opinion on his journey and Jaiswal’s recent performance and also mentioned Prithvi Shawwhich is currently going through a bad stage. Here are some excerpts from the conversation.
Question: You are currently training youth in Mumbai and are originally from Gorakhpur in UP. How was the trip from UP to Mumbai? Where did it all start?
Singh: See, I was very young when I started in Gorakhpur. I was very good at studies. In 1992 the World Cup was being held and India had defeated Pakistan. I used to read about Sachin Tendulkar and Ramakant Achrekar Sir and I are also interested in playing cricket at a professional level..
I read magazines like Cricket Samraat where I saw Sachin’s name. I felt that I too had to make a name for myself in cricket. Then I played a bit in Gorakhpur because my father gave me a cricket kit. But they told me I wouldn’t have many opportunities there. People used to say that if you stay here nothing will happen, so I decided to come to Mumbai. I came to Mumbai in 1995. My journey was very difficult from the beginning. When I came to Mumbai, my father brought me. The conditions in Mumbai were very different: in Gorakhpur we lived in a big house, but in Mumbai three or four people lived in a small room. My journey full of struggles started from here.
Also READ: An exclusive interview with Satyam Dixit: A cricketer by profession and a very close friend of Indian spinner Kuldeep Yadav.
Question: How is talent recognized in players?
Singh: Our academy is quite large and we offer training at different levels. We have between 40 and 45 coaches and between 50 and 60 staff members for different levels of players. However, I personally focus on those kids where I see attitude, hard work and dedication towards the game. Take the example of Jaiswal. His determination and dedication impressed me and that’s why I helped him move forward.
Question: Jaiswal was bowled out in the first innings of the Perth Test, after which speculations started whether this young player could play well in Australia or not, what was going through your mind at that time?
Singh: I think I always had and will have a lot of confidence in him because there are some players who adapt quickly to the situation and understand the game well. I think Yashasvi has that artistry, he understands the game, he stays in the present and he has all those things. As well as skill, he also has mental toughness, so I knew from the start that he would score runs in Australia too.
Question: In the second innings of the first Test, Jaiswal hit Starc saying the ball was coming slow, after which there was a lot of discussion about Jaiswal’s confidence. How do you see this? Do you think there has been a change in his game and mentality?
Singh: If you see a player who can dominate so much in the IPL, first it means he has skill and confidence and only the last Indian team can go to Australia and trouble the Australian bowlers. This is India today. There was a time when India was going to Australia and the Australian media used to put pressure on us mentally so that the players would be under a bit of pressure, but now since IPL It has come, all the world class bowlers come to India so our batsmen also have a good idea of who bowls what, that is why if you look at all the bowlers today they are very fair and Yashasvi has been scoring runs. everywhere. His confidence is very high and I think the way he showed intent is a good thing, but I will say again that your process is very important, telling someone something is a matter of time, but after that you have to act.
Question: There has been a lot of talk about Prithvi Shaw lately. The young player who was once called the next Sachin was not picked by any team in Team India or even the IPL. It remained unsold at auction. What did this young player do wrong?
Singh: Prithvi Shaw was and is a very talented player. He is my first player to play in the U19 World Cup. He came to me in 2015 and was with me until the World Cup. I worked a lot on his game, on his mental state and I was very excited when he played in the U19 World Cup, but the truth is that I have not seen him after 2017 to see how he looks physically and when I see his photo, I am very surprised.
Today I see his physical form, his body language and it makes me very sad that this player has been given the tag of Next Sachin. As a coach I am disappointed because he is not at the level he deserved. Something must have gone wrong and I still hope he works hard and gets back to his game in the future. I think he can still come back, but to do so he needs discipline, concentration and to revive himself again.
Here is the full interview:
