INTERVIEW
Follow UsCricket is a great leveller. It can build you up and break you down. It can make you a star overnight and can put you off the pedestal like you never belonged. At times, cricket is a story of a path less traveled, yet much-talked-about, much-hyped on the way to stardom.
The U-19 World Cups provide an opportunity for the young guys a path to quick stardom and sometimes, that becomes an identity on which their careers are remembered. For every Virat Kohli story, there is a Unmukt Chand to remind you of the frailties. For every Yuvraj Singh, there is a story of Reetinder Singh Sodhi.
For Ajitesh Argal, India’s hero in the 2008 U-19 World Cup final, the tournament has still been the most cherished memory as a cricketer. The Bhopal boy, who turned his allegiance to Baroda after his U-14 days, wasn't part of India's U-19 plans until they returned from a tour of South Africa. However, when the team realized they lacked proper firepower in the pace-bowling department, Argal was drafted in alongside Punjab's Siddharth Kaul.
It was a decision that changed the course as the duo became the fulcrum to India’s success in the World Cup, with Argal being adjudged as the Player of the Match in the Kuala Lumpur final against Wayne Parnell-led South Africa, which had many future Saffers stars like Pieter Malan, JJ Smuts, Rilee Rossouw, Reeza Hendricks, and Parnell himself.
Cricket.com caught up with Argal as he revisits his memories of that U19 World Cup and what that meant for them. Let’s hear it in his own words.
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One of the best memories which I will always cherish. It is a privilege to represent your country at any level and winning a world cup for your country and being able to contribute in the final is like a cherry on top of the cake so that obviously remains very close to my heart. It was a very low total and that was the only match when our batsmen didn’t click. We had a strong batting side with the likes of Virat Kohli, Manish Pandey, Saurabh Tiwary, Taruwar Kohli, Sreevats Goswami, etc.
The only time I remembered batting was in the nets. So the final was that one day when we got a chance to bat, but obviously we didn’t click and we had a task to defend that low-scoring total. Virat always trusted the bowlers with the field they wanted and we gelled very nicely because we used to be in different national camps and we knew each other from our U-15 days.
The most important thing was self-belief. We believed that even if the target was 90 or 100 instead of 159, we were sure of defending it because we had beaten South Africa even on the tour before the U19 World Cup. The plan was just to stick to the basics and no loose balls. We never went for wickets and we just decided that we will stick to our bowling areas and I am glad that it worked out in the end. My strength had always been bowling tight lines and length and eventually, that helped me.
Coming to the World Cup, the way Dav Whatmore, our coach, made us visualize the scenarios still gives me chills. Whatmore made us close our eyes and imagine a scenario where India has lost the World Cup final against South Africa. He made us imagine the way the game was so close and India could have become World Champions but could not be. He also made us imagine the way the media would handle it, the way our parents would handle it, the silence in the team bus, etc. Most of the guys were in tears and I still got goosebumps when I tell this to you. But then he said to open his eyes and said that it was 1st March and 5:30 pm and the game was still in our hands. This was something that motivated all of us to do better and maybe we needed that fear of losing in order to win.
During the final, we were all excited to defend the low total. There was pressure but I believe I had the ability to handle the pressure. It was the time that the bowlers had to win your matches because the batsmen were in fine form before the final. So it was the turn of the bowlers to raise their hand and say that we can win it for the team. And we were so pumped up because what more do you want other than representing your country in a World Cup final. It was a rain-curtailed game and I was not thinking of too much ahead. I was just taking one ball at a time and was telling myself that every ball I bowl was a matter of life and death. I still cherish that day.
Today, what matters is when you look in the mirror you need to be satisfied with the kind of hard work that you put in and you must ask yourself whether you have done justice to the profession. It’s not that I have stopped playing cricket. I am still trying and sometimes it feels a bit harsh that I should have got more chances but I am satisfied with the kind of hard work that I have put in.