The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : A trip to the Australian academy

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Sunday, Jun 03, 2007
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A trip to the Australian academy

Principal Correspondent

Bangalore: Piyush Chawla had an air of quiet confidence. Cheteshwar Pujara was a mix of hope and trepidation. And Yomahesh was all enthusiasm and a bit of swagger.

The trio, all set to depart for Australia on Saturday night, may have displayed varying emotions but their goal was unanimous — learn as much as they can at the Commonwealth Bank Centre for Excellence Australian Cricket Academy in Brisbane.

The three players, having bagged the prestigious Border-Gavaskar Scholarship, are keen to understand Australian conditions besides gaining a few insights into the tough-as-nails Aussie attitude.

The trio will be at the Australian academy for a five-week stint and are expected to return on July 8.

And for young leg-spinner Piyush Chawla, the return flight might be early in case he is selected to play for India in the one-dayers in Ireland. "Well, I don't know, it all depends on the BCCI," was all Piyush could say when queried. He, however, was certain about what he expects in Australia. "It's a new experience and it's about learning the conditions that are different and about adapting to them. It's also about improving fitness and fielding skills.

"I don't know whether they have any spin coach as such but I want to learn more. I have spoken to R.P. Singh who was there earlier and he told me that the facilities were excellent and the conditions are very different. Looking forward to the trip," Piyush said.

On his ODI debut in Bangladesh, Piyush said: "It felt good to make a comeback after a year, I last played for India in a Test. I was happy with my one-day debut and at the international level, you have to keep performing to be in the team and I am focussed on that."

For Pujara, the Saurashtra right-hander who was prolific for India in the Under-19 World Cup, the trip is all about `better-late-than-never'. "I missed the trip despite getting the scholarship twice previously and finally it is happening for me. I am happy with that. I am looking at improving the cut and pull shots as the Aussies play it really well and they are the best team in the World and I want to learn something from them," Pujara said.

Rapid strides

Meanwhile seamer Yomahesh, who has made rapid strides, playing for Tamil Nadu and India under-19, is following the footsteps of his senior L. Balaji, who too was a recipient of the Border-Gavaskar Scholarship earlier. "I haven't spoken to Balaji as he was away in London. I am keen to work on my fitness and Australia is a good place to be in if you are a fast bowler. Keen to improve my game overall," Mahesh said.

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