If the combination of Virender Sehwag and Gautam Gambhir had not been so firmly entrenched, Tamil Nadu opener Abhinav Mukund may have landed a Test cap by now. His second successive hundred in the Irani Trophy is further testament to his growth as a solid opener. Into his fourth season, Abhinav has demonstrated an appetite that is rare among youngsters who grow up on an overdose of instant cricket.
Abhinav has piled on the runs at will on the domestic circuit and with M. Vijay forms one of the best opening combinations in the country. “I have been doing well But I know there is a long way to go. It’s good when your name is discussed but I am not even thinking about national selection now. All I want to do is add to my game. It’s the dream of every cricketer to play for the country and I am sure my time will come,” said the confident 20-year-old.
Abhinav, who is the youngest first class triple centurion, has gained a lot by travelling to England and Australia this year. “The trips helped me encounter varied conditions and to score there is always a challenge and I enjoyed the competition. It helped in my overall development as a cricketer,” noted Abhinav.
Having found success early, Abhinav was expected to have all the answers. The one-day format proved to be his nemesis as he failed to deploy the right approach. The match winning hundred against Bengal in the Ranji one-day final turned it all. “That knock provided me with a lot of confidence. I started approaching limited over matches as an innings of two sessions. You need a bit of experience to improve,” added Abhinav.
What sets Abhinav apart is his eagerness to sit and understand his own game. “There were times during the first day’s play when I was feeling tired and was not seeing the ball as well as I should be. I was guilty of throwing it away in the past but I decided to concentrate hard and hang in,” said Abhinav. His run of tall scores has a tale to relate. The resolve to succeed and perform consistently has been Abhinav’s strength.
Technically, the left-hander is not the ideal watertight opener in the classic mould. The modern game keeps throwing theories out of the window. If a batsman is ready to take chances and backs his strength, he is bound to come with the numbers. Abhinav prefers the area around gully. He also has the tendency to drive away from the body but gets enough behind the ball to ensure safety. How he fares against quality bowlers with wickets offering true bounce remains to be seen.
Tamil Nadu batting has never had it so good. In Vijay, Dinesh Karthik, S. Badrinath and Abhinav, the state is blessed with a durable top-order. Abhinav is the youngest of the four and the only left-hander. His performance in England and Australia and now in the Irani Trophy is all a result of his strong work ethics and tremendous self-belief.
There is a huge distance for Abhinav to cover and he knows that. The start has been exceptional and, more importantly, the opener has the right attitude to go with the talent to make it count.