Virat Kohli scored another ODI century in a winning cause for India on Wednesday. It was his 15th in such a short career. The fact that it came against minnows Zimbabwe and he has played much bigger innings on a far more bigger stage, Kohli himself might not remember it for long. But on the other end there was someone who scored only a half-century (unbeaten) and he will remember it forever.
Ambati Rayudu, who made his international debut in this match, scored an unbeaten 63 and shared a 159-run partnership with skipper Kohli to help India win their first tour match against Zimbabwe. The 27-year-old Rayudu's struggle to reach at this stage is well documented. From a teenage prodigy to a rebel player and now back to the fold, his story is nothing short of a classic blockbuster. However, the climax is yet to happen. His struggle has not only made him toil in the domestic circuit, it has also given him valuable experience.
That he is a mature player could be seen in his innings against Zimbabwe. He came in to bat when India were 57 for 2. It wasn't a good situation for a debutant; the target was still far away. Rayudu isn't a big stroke-maker but he possesses a compact technique and good cricketing mind. He understands his batting. By placing the ball into gaps and running hard, he let Kohli, who was in great touch on Wednesday, score the bulk of the runs and patiently accumulated his debut fifty off 74 balls with just two boundaries.
His 10-year wait for this opportunity ended on a happy note. "That's how you get a finished product," Ajay Jadeja, former India ODI skipper, said. "The delay in his debut was partly because he went away (to rebel Indian Cricket league). "But it's not easy to make a comeback from such a situation. Amnesty sounds easy but it's not. People hesitate to take in their teams. Selection becomes more difficult for such players. What went in Rayudu's favour was his experience at first-class level and a solid game that he possesses."
Jadeja feels that Rayudu's success will be an inspiration for all the hopefuls who want to don the national colours. "It took him 10 long years to finally make his senior international debut. This shows that in every aspect of life, one should never lose hope. I don't think many people would have thought that Rayudu will manage to play for India although his talent was unquestionable."
‘Pujara can succeed in One-dayers too’
Jadeja also thinks that Cheteshwar Pujara has all the ingredients of becoming a good one-day batsman but his selection for 2015 World Cup depends on what selectors think about him. "Cricket is a selection based sport. If selectors think that you are good then you are good, otherwise not," he said.
"Cheteshwar has the game and the temperament to be successful in limited overs cricket but most important thing is what selectors think about him. He has shown at the domestic level that he can play the shorter version also," he said.
Asked whether the likes of MS Dhoni and Virat Kohli have changed the definition of a finisher in ODI cricket, Jadeja, who himself was a fine finisher in his time, explained, “The basic grammar of finishing the game is still the same.”
“Earlier, the game’s pace was dictated by the 22 players but now it is about the rules which govern the game. You have two new balls, lesser number of fielders in the circle, mandatory Powerplay by 35th over. These things certainly have become a factor.”