He is only 22 but he already has
a world record to his credit and is one of the future hopes for India as far as the pace
bowling department is concerned. But the injury ridden Ajit Bhalchandra Agarkar has
had his bad moments too, in spite of coming through them with a big smile. In this
interview the slightly built and unassuming Ajit talks about his cricket and his desire to
play for India more often. Q:
You took to the game very early but it seems you were notorious for breaking your
neighbour's windows?
Ajit: Yes, where we lived and I played there were a lot of window panes. Windows used
to break all the time and that's probably why I took up the game seriously. There were a
lot of complaints coming and that is when my parents decided that I should rather play in
a ground than in the building where we lived.
Q: Your uncle Mr Patekar noticed
your talent. Did he find it difficult to convince your parents to send you for cricket
classes?
Ajit: Not at all. My father always loved cricket. He was for it absolutely. He never
had a problem
Q: And he took you to Shivaji
Park where luckily the coach was not present?
Ajit: Yes, luckily the coach was not present. While we were coming back we met
Sandeep Patil's father. That is when my uncle asked him where I should be taken for
cricket. Mr Patil suggested that if it is going to be serious cricket, I should be taken
to Mr. Ramakant Achrekar.
Q: When Mr Achrekar saw you he
felt that you were too small and slight to be a cricketer.
Ajit: Yes that is the first thing he said. How would he cope up? He is so tiny and
thin. But once I started playing it was fine.
Q:Apparently he worked a miracle
because soon you were playing inter-school matches.
Ajit: Yes. Once he saw me playing, he wanted me to shift to the school that he was
coaching. Basically it all started from there.
Q: In
those days you were a batsman rather than a bowler. Is that right?
Ajit: Yes, that is very true. I used to bat at the nets. That is how Mr. Achrekar
spotted me. I bowled also but certainly not as much as I do now. Q: Against St Xaviers in 1996 you scored a
whopping 345. How many hours did you spend at the crease?
Ajit: Just about seven and a half hours. But even then I did not expect to score 300
plus. I treasure that innings.
Q: After that tremendous batting
performance how did you switch to bowling?
Ajit: I used to love bowling and was the captain of the team. So I used to have the
ball all the time. But batting was a priority then.
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"
It was
a club game and Sachin was there as the off season was just getting over for him. The
bowler did not turn up and I was given the new ball. I took two wickets. That was the
first time that Sachin saw me bowl."
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Q: The opportunity to bowl came
up when one of the pace bowlers failed to turn up for a game and you had to take his
place.
Ajit: Yes, it was a club game and Sachin was there as the off season was just getting
over for him. The bowler did not turn up and I was given the new ball. I took two wickets.
That was the first time that Sachin saw me bowl.
Q: What advice did he give you?
Ajit: He was I think quite impressed with the way I was bowling. He just told me to
concentrate a lot more than I was on my bowling at that time. That is when my captain also
realised that I could bowl and started using me a lot more.
Q: In '96-'97 you made your Ranji
debut for Bombay against Gujarat. Were you nervous?
Ajit: Very nervous. I had not dreamt of playing for Bombay as a bowler when I started
playing. It was probably one of the most special moments in my life. But luckily we had
played a one-dayer before the four-day game. I bowled my quota and got two wickets. So
that kind of calmed me down.
Q: Two great tours then happened
for you. The first was the tour to Sri Lanka with the Under-19 team.
Ajit: Yes, I remember that tour very well. That is probably the best tour that I have
had at the junior level. Anshuman Gaekwad was the coach and I got 16 wickets in three
matches. I also got a hundred and we won the series.
Q: They said that you virtually
ploughed through the Sri Lankan batting line up single-handedly.
Ajit: Yes, I was trying really hard to bowl well at that time and got all the things
right.
Q: Shortly followed the tour to Pakistan with the India-A team. That was when you got
recognised as an international player of class.
Ajit: Yes that was probably an India-A tour to Pakistan in a long time. I don't know
whether there was any before that. It had been a pretty ordinary season for me till then.
I had just done well in the Duleep Trophy and that is how I got picked. Getting all those
wickets in Pakistan was definitely the turning point for me.
Q: You excelled in Karachi where
you got nine wickets. Was it the pitch, bad batting by the Pakistanis or your confidence?
Ajit: By that time I was peaking in my bowling. We had lost the first two matches but
I still picked up wickets. I just kept my confidence going. Yes, the confidence was there.
Q: You were then selected to play
against Australia at Kochi. But it wasn't the most auspicious days to make your debut, was
it?
Ajit: (Grins) Well, it wasn't bad for India. We won the match. It was a special day -
April 1st. But making a debut for India is always special.
Q: What went on your mind as you
first entered the field on your debut?
Ajit: Actually, I was very nervous when we were on the bus travelling to the stadium.
Fortunately we batted first and had a big score to defend and that helped. By the time I
came in to bowl, I had got used to the ground, the atmosphere and the crowds. Adam
Gilchrist was my first wicket.
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