Sport - Spin prodigy
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India have a habit of spin bowlers to Test cricket at a tender age. Despite that, Piyush Chawla’s inclusion in their squad for the first Test against England must have caught many Indian by surprise. And if he plays in the opening game at Nagpur next Wednesday, he will do so just 17 years and 67 days old. Only Sachin Tendulkar - 16 years and 205 days - has played in a Test for India at a younger age. Tendulkar knows all about Chawla’s potential. In the Challenger Trophy final last October, the youngster went round the wicket and bowled the googly, catching the batting maestro off guard and bowling him as he shaped to play an attacking stroke. Hailing from the small university town of Aligarh, Chawla provides an answer to those who say leg-spin is a dying art in India. He first attracted attention when he played against England’s under-19 side at the beginning of last year and took 13 wickets in the two four-day Tests.
Earlier this month he matched that tally to help India reach the final of the U19 World Cup in Sri Lanka. Leading names in Indian cricket, including former spinners Erapalli Prasanna and Laxman Sivaramakrishnan, have recognised his special talent. And Pramod Gupta, a coach in the northern state of Uttar Pradesh, believes he is “destined to serve the country for a long time”. Gupta told the BBC: “He used to come to my coaching centre for tips on leg-spin, which I used to gladly offer him.” It is likely Chawla may have to wait for his chance as Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh are proven match-winners at Test level. But the fact that he has been chosen in the squad ahead of left-armer Murali Kartik is an of how highly the selectors and national team coach Greg Chappell rate him. Gupta thinks spending time with Kumble, a leggie who is six wickets short of 500 in Tests, can only do Chawla good. “He can get useful tips from Anil Kumble, but his success will also depend on how he can tackle the pressures of international cricket,” he added. Sivaramakrishnan was only 17 when he took 12 wickets in a Test against England in Bombay 22 years ago. Chawla must be hoping history will repeat itself in this series.
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