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In the fast lane
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Raghavendra Rao loves Brett Lee. And it shows in the 16-year-old's demeanour as an aspiring fast bowler
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Raghavendra Rao: keen to move on —Photo:K. Gopinathan
AT SIX feet, three inches, Raghavendra Rao often looms high on a batsman's horizon. And his penchant to zoom in and unleash the red cherry with force and finesse, has caught the eye of the State's talent scouts.
Off the field, Raghavendra is a gawky 16-year-old, often at a loss for words and prefers to be with his pals rather than being caught in the media spotlight. And it helps if Brett Lee is bowling somewhere and the action is beamed on television. "I love Brett Lee. He is an amazing bowler," gushes Raghavendra.
Good experience
However, limelight did trail him for a while in the recent weeks as the MRF Pace Academy in Chennai selected him along with Munaf Patel for a brief stint at the Australian Institute of Sport in Canberra. Munaf, however, failed to go as he had to board the India `A' team's flight to Kenya, while Raghavendra winged his way to Canberra.
"The experience was good. I underwent a series of bio-mechanical tests and experts such as Craig Salter and David Pyne explained to me the need for a fit body and on ways and means to use my joints more effectively while bowling so that the risk of injury is minimised," Raghavendra says.
Injury. It is something sinister and comes along with the fine print of being a fast bowler.
And for Raghavendra, the angst of injury is a familiar foe. Last year, immediately after he caught the eye of the Karnataka State Cricket Academy's Talent Resource Development Officer, Sanath Kumar, Raghavendra was out of the circuit with a lower back injury.
And with that, his dreams of excelling in the under-17 tournament buckled under his sore back.
"The injury was bad and I had a lay-off. After that I attended the Frank Tyson Clinic for fast bowlers at the National Cricket Academy (NCA) and it helped me get back to my rhythm. This year has been better," Raghavendra says.
MRF training
It is indeed sunny for him these days and stints at the MRF Pace Academy and his selection to the under-17 batch scheduled to train at the NCA from August one to 31 are pointers to a career graph that is set to surge.
"I may not be express quick, but I can jag the ball in because of my height, and gradually I can gain pace. Dennis Lillee, T.A. Sekar at the MRF Pace Academy, and out here, Javagal Srinath and Venkatesh Prasad have helped me quite a bit. I learnt a lot from all of them," Raghavendra says.
The St. Josephs Pre-University student still has a long way to go.
The word "prospect" that has been tagged around his neck can be a millstone that chokes. And pressure is just one step away.
However, Raghavendra is keen to keep his eyes focussed on rival batsman and stride away towards a future rich in dreams and the odd streak of despair.
Until then, he is happy bowling for Doorvani Cricketers in the local league and for the State under-17 sides. The lad with roots in Bellary is itching to kick up some dust.
K.C. VIJAYA KUMAR
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