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CARESSING the turf
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Sudhindra Shinde holds plenty of promise and he idolises Ricky Ponting. If he stretches his cameos, he could just get there.
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Sudheendra Shinde: great innings ahead — Photo: K. Bhagya Prakash
STYLE AND sparkle. That could well define the spirit of Sudhindra Shinde's batting.
The 23-year-old Karnataka player has just one Ranji match to his credit. But it was a big stage — the Ranji Trophy Plate Division final last season against Kerala at the Chinnaswamy Stadium — and Shinde revelled with an 86 that had panache and punch written all over it. Shinde had indeed arrived as a player of promise. And in a match where Sunil Joshi's bag of wickets helped Karnataka emerge champions, Shinde's effort was a pleasant footnote that refuses to fade from memory.
"To be honest, I still do not know how I got those first 15 runs, but after that I was calm and played my natural game," says Shinde on his Ranji Trophy debut. It was a knock that was high on aesthetics as Shinde drove with aplomb, played straight, and used his feet against the spinners. Watching from the sidelines, former Karnataka batsman Vijaykumar said: "That is the way to bat. Initially, you respect the bowler, but once you are settled in, it is an insult to have close-in fielders around you. You got to scatter them with shots. Shinde's approach was good and pleasing to watch."
Playing shots comes naturally to Shinde. And it shows in his philosophy towards cricket. "For me, it is not just about playing for the State or the Club. It is often a matter of going out there in the middle and having a good hit — hitting the ball hard. I love that. And at the end of the day if I am satisfied with the way I have performed for my team, I am happy," Shinde says.
However, his foray into the Ranji circuit was never as smooth as his drives that caress and conquer on the turf. It was indeed a hard grind as Shinde often faltered in building the bridge that connects potential with performance. The commerce graduate from St. Joseph's College became a peddler of cameos with a silken 60 or a scorching 70 being his regular signature in the age-group competitions. "I started playing for the State from the under-16 level, and in those days, I cracked a double hundred against Kerala, and though I have come through the ranks, I often failed to convert my starts. I used to get out in the 70s and 80s due to lapse in concentration and bad shots. Now I have learnt and I am working on it," says Shinde.
And it shows. Consistency has indeed become a valuable addition in his kitbag. And the Ranji cap was his especially after a hundred against Tamil Nadu in the South Zone under-25 tournament last season. "I still think I should have played in the Ranji Trophy three years back. Maybe in the same season when Barrington made his debut, but then I failed to make big scores consistently. Anyway, I am happy with my debut and I am looking forward to the current season. I still have just one Ranji match under my belt. I need to establish myself with the team. I bat at number three for the State and I can't complain on that. I also don't mind opening. I do have a platform now and it is up to me to perform," Shinde says.
The current season has been good for Shinde and his century for Air India against Anil Kumble's Karnataka XI in the KSCA All India Invitation Tournament remains a special nugget. He is working hard on a few chinks in his armour. "I don't have a problem against pace or spin. But, yes, against off-spinners, I don't stretch completely while defending. I need to do that more though I do attack them well. I have also learnt that more than the shots you play, it is the duration of time you spend at the wicket that is more crucial. But I always play positive," Shinde says. Interestingly, he idolises Ricky Ponting, but unlike his hero, never pulls or hooks. "Well, I hardly play those shots, but I am working on it," he says.
In a fresh season, as Karnataka aims for greater glory, while wending its way back into the Ranji Trophy Elite Zone, Shinde along with Barrington Rowland, Thilak Naidu, Deepak Chougule, N.C. Aiyappa, and Udit Patel form a young brigade that should help the former champions surge ahead. And for that, Shinde has to meld style with substance. Hopefully, he will.
K.C. VIJAYA KUMAR
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