Debutant Deepak takes light out of Hyderabad

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New Delhi, Nov. 1: Talented but not exceptional, Rajasthan coach Harish Joshi had thought to himself when he first came across a skinny 16-year-old medium pacer at a coaching clinic a couple of years ago.

After Monday, having witnessed the kid — now 18 — wreak havoc in the first 78 minutes of the 2010 Ranji season, Joshi wishes he’d be off the mark with more of his players. Deepak Chahar, playing in his debut Ranji game, shook the dirt from decades-old record books with an eight-wicket haul against Hyderabad in the Plate Division match in Jaipur on the day.

The visitors were bowled out for 21 in 15.3 overs — the lowest-ever Ranji total — with Chahar’s spell reading 7.3-2-10-8. His figures fell just short of the record effort on debut. Maharashtra’s Vasant Ranjane took 9/56 on first-class debut in 1956-57.

The statistic, as impressive as it is, tells little of the control Chahar has on the red cherry. “He can swing the ball both ways with superb accuracy,” says ex-India cricketer and current teammate, Aakash Chopra.

The first five overs of the Hyderabad innings were sans drama, but once Chahar had opener Akshath Reddy (6) with an out-swinger, other scalps came in a clutch. Chahar recounts with glee, “Caught-behind with an out-swinger, then two wickets with in-swingers, one bowled and one lbw.”

What makes the 18-year-old’s performance even more special is his background. He comes from a lower-middle class family from Hanumangarh district in Rajasthan and took to cricket only by accident.

“I read in his kundli that he’ll become a big cricketer one day, so I encouraged him to play the game,” says his father, who took voluntary retirement to look after his son’s needs. The India dream may be some way off as the eight-wicket-haul is keeping Chahar occupied fully for now. “I attended a two-and-half-hour press conference, then answered 300 calls. There were 150 which I couldn’t... it feels odd,” he says. “But I know I have to keep bowling well. That’s the only thing I know.”