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New kid on the bloc
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The only lad from the city to be part of under-19 team's tour to England later this month, Ambati Tirupati Rayudu is pretty upbeat, says V.V. SUBRAHMANYAM.
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GRIT & DETERMINATION: Rayudu takes off to England.
HE BRINGS the old charm of cricket back and with a bang. Always giving an impression of someone in a hurry with the willow. Very few youngsters in Indian circuit can bat as well as Ambati Tirupati Rayudu does and with such phenomenal consistency. The 17-year-old student of Bhavan's Ramakrishna Vidyalaya loves to dominate the bowling from the word go. Defence has no place in his dictionary. This brilliant stroke-maker is incidentally the lone Hyderabadi who will be representing India in the under-19 tour to England, which will feature three `Tests' and three one-dayers from July 27.
Rayudu, who shot into limelight with his remarkable run of scores in the under-16 grade, hitting 600 and a double century between 1998 and 2000, is pretty much aware of the huge task ahead of him. But interestingly, the testing English conditions were not unfamiliar for him. For he hit a classy 116 against West Indies in the World Cup (under-15) championship a couple of years ago. A knock, which served the first warning note that the young boy has just arrived on the scene. For someone who hit a double century against Goa at the age of 12 years, Rayudu is bound to make waves.
Apparently his three-month stint in Brisbane under the great Frank Tyson a couple of years ago and the recent, 45-day stint with the National Cricket Academy in Bangalore helped him in smoothening the rough edges of his batting skills. And as he himself says he is much more fitter and a better fielder now after the two camps. Well, if the camp is under the guidance of former Test star Robin Singh, who is assisted by W.V.Raman and Raghuram Bhatt, the results are bound to be different. Himself being a no-nonsense cricketer at his peak, Robin Singh did pay special attention to the Hyderabadi youngster as he was quick to spot the immense talent in the latter.
Spotted very early - about six years ago - by the most dedicated coach of the twin cities, Vijay Paul, this youngster is all set to make a lasting impression to silence the critics who relish to harp on the theory that Rayudu attacks a bit too much. "May be, that it is true. But certainly, as I move up the ladder, I will definitely show a little more caution and prefer better stroke-selection," he says quite honestly. There is no stroke, which he doesn't play. And when on song, he is a treat to watch. The wristy elegance in those beautifully timed flicks, the authentic backfoot square-drive or the kneeling coverdrive and the way he hits past the bowlers - both pace and spin -- all reveal a stamp of class.
That this unobtrusive performer loves the challenge in both forms of cricket is pretty discernible for any serious lover of the game in Hyderabad. He made his Ranji debut against Himachal Pradesh with a classy 33 last season and was out to a dubious lbw session in the final session when he shuffled too far across on the leg-stump. But in that brief knock, he threw enough hints of his class with some amazing strokes. It is a pity that he didn't fit into the scheme of things in the next match against Baroda there in the Ranji quarterfinal in which Hyderabad was knocked out thereby denying him further chances to prove his ability. But his debut in the K.S. Subbiah Pillai Trophy against Goa was more impressive, in terms of runs, hitting 116. Here again, it was the last league match for Hyderabad and so was his.
The camp preceding the England tour under supervision of Robin Singh should have further honed his skills and given him the necessary vital inputs related to other crucial aspects - like psychology and how to keep one's cool under pressure. "The camps are not just for physical conditioning and coaching alone. There are lots of discussions on other subjects related to sports in general like motivating oneself for the big matches, psychology, how to convert a half- chance into a winning one, the essence of learning by watching seniors and talking to past cricketers. Robin Sir is a wonderful person making everyone feel comfortable and important," says Rayudu. Importantly, he knows the essence of being a listener to the worthy advice and proudly recalls the full kit presented by Test cricketer V.V.S. Laxman a couple of years ago. "I was really delighted at that gesture and it propped up my morale and made me aim higher," says Rayudu with a boyish smile.
Rayudu's batting is not just slam-bang hitting but clinical destruction of any bowling. The way he loves to farm the strike is seen to be believed. Or else how can one else explain the stupendous feat of scoring an unbeaten 153 when his school required 156 runs while his partner just managed three runs in an under-16 tournament match organised by Hyderabad Cricket Association some time back. "I just enjoyed batting on my school ground. There was nothing special about it," recalls a modest Rayudu. One of those feats which fetched him a contract with SG cricket gear firm, taking care of his compete kit requirements for the last three years.
His father, A. Sambasiva Rao, working in the State Archives Department, belongs to one of those very few parents who spotted talent very early and insisted that Rayudu should play cricket seriously and took him to Vijay Paul.
Questioned how he would react to the general criticism that he tends to throw away the wicket after having the bowlers at his mercy, Rayudu says he doesn't think like that. "I love to play my normal game which is no doubt very aggressive. Yes, it is true that I sometimes do fail in my efforts," he confesses. However, the young boy makes an interesting observation: "I tend to forget these failures and never take them seriously." Perhaps, a clear message that he means business.
Well this boy, whose off-spin fetched him 15 wickets in the one-day version in the Under-19 grade besides his tally of 550 runs which included a century and five half- centuries, is keen to have a long chat with his role model Sachin Tendulkar in England, if the chance encounter does happen, where the seniors are also on the tour. Even if he achieves half of what the little genius had done, Rayudu is bound to be a name to remember in Indian cricket.
It is an indisputable fact that this gifted youngster is the best prospect to play for the country from Hyderabad.
Photo: Vino John
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