He was the unsung hero during India’s historic tour Down Under in 2003-04, a vital cog in the team that managed to level the Test series against the formidable Aussies, in their own den. Then, a greenhorn in a squad boasting a glut of batting stalwarts, Aakash Chopra managed to hold his own. Providing significant opening partnerships with his state-mate mercurial Virender Sehwag, his gusty display set the tone for the series.
Armed with a rock solid technique, he played the perfect foil to the swashbuckling Viru. But despite his handy performances, he found himself out of the Indian team for the subsequent home series against the same opponents.
Ironically, when he started his first class career ten years back, he created an immediate splash with his stroke play. “The boy has tremendous spark,” remarked spin legend Bishan Singh Bedi. But then, his foray into international cricket found him pigeonholed with the tag of a ‘strokeless wonder’.
But life has come a full circle for Aakash during the last season. The 2007-08 season has been a threshold for the unassuming Delhi lad. He has scored tons of runs playing for India-A, North Zone and Delhi. He scored almost 1,700 runs in the calendar year with three double centuries (one against a high quality South Africa-A side) with a relatively healthy strike rate. For his excellent performance with the bat, he has recently bagged Best Domestic Batsman of the Year award. Now that he has got the award, he is eagerly waiting for his ‘reward’ (to play for the country again).
In a freewheeling chat with Zeecric`s Biswajit Jha, Aakash Chopra spoke about his sudden exclusion from Test side, the secret of his new found success, his agony on not being picked for Oz tour and the ongoing home series against South Africa, his future plans, his IPL team Kolkata Knight Riders and its owner Shah Rukh Khan, his upcoming book and many other subjects.
Excerpts:
First of all, congratulations for bagging the Best Domestic Batsman of the Year award. What does this award really mean to you?
To be very honest, I’m very happy to get this award. Awards mean a lot, they are basically a recognition for what you have achieved. It feels worthy to be awarded.
Though domestic cricket is not as competitive as international cricket, but still it takes a lot to score runs consistently. You have to toil hard for each and every run.
But despite scoring so many runs you did not get the call to don the national colours. Isn’t it disappointing?
I would be lying if I tell you that I am not disappointed. After scoring heavily, I expected to be picked for the Oz tour. I was in the list of 24 probables before the Oz tour. When Gambhir got injured ahead of the tour, I was almost certain that I would get the call. Things have not gone my way, but I have taken everything in my stride.
What was your state of mind at that point of time?
I knew that I had to overcome the disappointment and move on in life. At that time I had 700 runs against my name and at the end of the season I added 1,000 more to my kitty. I think it is a pretty good achievement.
Again, I was expecting a call ahead of the ongoing South African Test series. But again I was ignored. Sometimes it really hurts.
Some cricket pundits believe that one article from Ian Chappell, in which he batted for Sehwag, changed the whole equation…
I also heard that. But even if this was the case, I don’t want to believe it. Scoring runs should be the criteria for selection, not an article, whoever writes it.
But these things hurt one’s motivation…
Motivation has never been a problem for me. You can’t control these things. I don’t think about those, which are not in my hands. I think only about those, which I can control. My job is to score runs and I am doing that perfectly.
But such things have always happened to you. You had your parts in that famous series Down Under in 2003-04. But you were dropped after 3/4 Tests
Yeah, I was given a certain role to play in that series. My job was to see off the new ball, play a supportive role to Sehwag, who likes to play his shots. Since we have different approaches to the game, we as a pair did well in Australia.
To be very fair you also could not convert your starts. Every time there was this same story….You would do all the hard work and score 30/40 and throw away your wicket….
Yeah, that was really disappointing. I was doing all the hard work, but then…just could not capitalise on my starts.
But, you know, the Aussie attack never gives you any respite. Even if you are set enough, they can come up with an unplayable delivery. But in the hindsight, I would say, that I should have scored more runs.
But you got dropped probably because you were being over-defensive. How does it like to get the tag as ‘strokeless wonder’?
What is disappointing is that despite moulding myself according to the team’s need, I had to face the axe and had to listen to quite disappointing things after that. Though no one told me to get out after a doing all the hard work, my primary duty was to play a foil to hard-hitting Sehwag.
And when you got dropped, did you feel that it was unfair to you?
No one considered my role prior to Oz tour. I never got any weak opponents. Out of the 10 Tests I played 8 were against Australia and Pakistan in their own dens.
It’s also hard to perform when your place is not secure in the team. You need to have some kind of security to perform to your utmost potential.
After you got dropped you did not do well in the domestic circuit for two consecutive years. What went wrong after that?
Actually, I was putting extra pressure on myself. Every time I went in to bat, I thought of getting a hundred. In that process, I was losing my focus. I used to go into a shell. I was overanalysing my failures. Naturally, I was not enjoying my game, and when you don’t enjoy your cricket, you tend to face more failure.
So what was the secret of your revelation this season?
Prior to the start of this series, I thought that enough is enough. I knew I had in myself to score tons of runs and get a Test berth again. I started playing with an uncluttered mind, started to enjoy my game. Technically I had not changed anything…I changed just my approach to the game…
Apart from scoring plenty of runs, you scored them quickly. So, which is the real Aakash Chopra, the one we saw in Tests or the one who played freely in domestic circuit this year?
To be very fair, I am not a swashbuckling batsman like Sehwag. The normal Aakash Chopra is a free-flowing batsman. I am not a ‘strokeless wonder’ (laughs)
But it’s very difficult to break an image……………..
Yeah, once people create a certain notion about you, it’s very hard to come out of that.
If you get a Test recall and are asked to play over-defensively, are you ready to perform that role or will you play your normal game?
Even if I am assigned to do a certain role, I won’t compromise with my game beyond a certain point again.
What’s your take on Twenty20 format?
It’s aggressive, fast-paced and definitely entertaining. It’s a real fun.
But, don’t you think that Test cricket is in danger due to the advent of T20?
Future of cricket is really challenging. The administrators and the coaches have a huge role to play in order to save Test cricket. There will be temptation to go through short cuts for fame.
The affect of T20 is already being felt in the national as well as the international circuit. If you look at our domestic matches of this season, you will find that only a few teams could manage to play 100 overs, which is really worrying. It is not good for cricket.
The style of batting has changed too. The strike rate may be good, but you will hardly get big individual scores.
What’s the reason that despite being a cricket crazy nation, we never have plenty of people coming in to watch domestic matches?
Because we are not a cricket crazy nation, we are star crazy.
Are you excited about playing for Kolkata Knight Riders in IPL?
It will be great fun. The people of Kolkata are emotional by nature, they love their cricket. Since club culture already exists there, the concept of IPL will find its root immediately.
What’s your view on Shah Rukh Khan, the owner of Kolkata team? Have you met him?
Yeah, I have met him recently. He is fantastic. He is always oozing with energy. There is plenty to learn from him. Besides, he has an amazing sense of humour.
What do you do besides playing cricket?
I am an avid reader. Initially, I started with self-motivational books, but now I read books from every genre including Harry Potter and Julius Caesar.
Besides, I am writing a book. It is basically a diary of the last season.
You also write newspaper columns. Do you see yourself in the media in future?
I don’t see myself into journalism right now. But may be 10 years down the line…who knows? ….I love to write.
