For Jayant’s coaches, he is an all-rounder in the making

Sabi Hussain

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, November 18

Like most cricketers, Haryana's off-spinner Jayant Yadav, born and brought up in Delhi, started young. He was just eight when he joined Young Friends Cricket Club, run by veteran coach RP Sharma, in Delhi's Harbaksh Stadium in 1998.

The journey that started 18 years back for the now 26-year-old Yadav has reached a crucial stage. In his debut Test at Vizag, he has looked impressive so far. But making the India cut wasn't easy. First up, he had to shift to Haryana from Delhi to pursue his dream of playing for the country as Delhi couldn't find a place for him.

“It is a dream come true not only for Jayant, but for me as well,” Sharma told The Tribune. “He played well, did not show any nervousness. He played a mature knock, and his bowling was about maintaining the line and length. He has the makings of a good all-rounder.”

Yadav started off as a spinner but his batting, too, picked up gradually. “Initially, he would concentrate only on his bowling but gradually he started working on his batting too. By the time he left my club and became a regular member in Haryana's age group teams, he had developed into an excellent player,” said Sharma.

Yadav made everyone sit up and take notice of his batting abilities when he struck a double century against Karnataka in Hubli in the 2012-13 Ranji season.

It was Haryana's current Ranji Trophy coach Vijay Yadav who first realised his batting potential. “I know him since his U-19 days. I was the coach of the U-19 team. Once I made him open the innings against a tough opposition, and he responded with a half-century. That convinced me that he could become a quality all-rounder,” said Yadav.