Venkatesh Prasad can make it big (Hindustan Times, 2Nov93)
mu
(Hindustan Times, 02Nov93)
SURAT, Nov.1 - Venkatesh Prasad started taking wickets very late. He now
likes it so much that he wants to do it in every match. This is
precisely what he has been doing for the past five years.
He was 18 when he began playing cricket. Tennis-ball cricket, football,
and hockey were his games before that. He represented his school - ITI
Vidya Mandir (Bangalore) - in hockey, because "there was no cricket in my
school." Nobody in his family played cricket, but everybody encouraged
him when he seriously took to the game in Vijaya College.
The late starter has turned out to be a fast learner. The current season
has proved this. He has so far taken 15 wickets in three Duleep Trophy
league matches, including a career-best seven for 38 against North Zone
at Valsad last week. "I'm still five wickets away from my target," says
the 6-foot-plus seamer from Bangalore, who sets his goal before every
tournament. He is likely to achieve his objective, as his team is going
to play a lowly Central Zone in the concluding league fixture.
Venkatesh began the season on an impressive note, often posing problems
for Punjab batsmen in the Irani Trophy tie on a seaming wicket at
Ludhiana. "The wicket at Ludhiana was very good. Though I could not
take five wickets in an innings, I bowled really well. That's cricket!"
He has shown his sharpness not only in major domestic tourneys, but also
against a visiting team. He bagged three wickets, including those of
Robin Smith and Michael Atherton, against Graham Gooch's Englishmen in a
three-day tie at Vishakhapatnam last season.
"I am now confident of bowling well on any wicket," says Venkatesh, whose
aim is to play for the country. The recent successes have boosted his
morale. Discipline is the key to his success. A thinking bowler, he
rarely wastes the new ball. His stock delivery is the outswinger and he
brings the odd one in to fox a batsman. He uses the bouncer only as a
surprise weapon. When punished, he does not lose his cool. "When I'm
being hit, I always try to bowl the next delivery better."
Venkatesh learnt moving the ball away during his stint at the MRF Pace
Foundation Camp in Madras. "Initially, I bowled only inswingers. Thanks
to Dennis Lillee and T.A.Sekhar, I learnt to move the ball away."
Coached by none in the beginning of his career, he is indebted to Roger
Binny, Jayaprakash, Kapil Dev and Javagal Srinath for giving valuable
tips. "Srinath always gives me confidence when we are bowling together,"
he reveals.
Vekatesh has always bowled fast, even when he played tennis-ball cricket.
It was during his first year in college that he had started practising
with the cricket ball. He made rapid strides, representing Bangalore
University in the second year. "My six-wicket haul against Madras
University was the turning point of my career," says Venkatesh, who
joined Syndicate Bank in late 1989.
Thereafter, he never looked back. Excellent performances in the Inter-
Bank and under-25 tournaments helped him find a place in the Karnataka
Ranji squad in 1991. He bagged four wickets on his Ranji debut against
Kerala. "I couldn't take many Ranji wickets in the beginning because
wickets in the South favoured spinners more than seamers." He however
never lost faith in himself and continued to work hard. He has now
become his team's main strike bowler.
Venkatesh gained recognition outside Karnataka in 1991-92, when he met
with instant success in the Duleep Trophy tournament. He took a wicket
off his very first ball, dismissing Shashikant Khandekar of Central Zone
- one of his six victims in the innings. He continued to be among the
wickets next season, to gain national recognition. He was the Indian
camp for the Sri Lanka tour.
Venkatesh is indeed in contention. "I think I can make it big," says the
soft-spoken quickie. Give the new ball in his hand, and you confront a
different person - capable of making the batsman's life miserable at the
crease.
(Reproduced without premission)
========
Murari Venkataraman
ven...@ccwf.cc.utexas.edu
Vinay S. Badami
Salil Ankola, Zaidi and others who have done little to merit their inclusion
the national squad. INfact Venky has done excellently well whenever given an
opportunity both at the zonal level and also against visiting teams. He surely does deserve his breaks soon. All the best to him.
____________________________________________
Vinay S Badami