Over the last six months, Mukesh Kumar has had 21 more appearances (six ODIs, 14 T20Is and a Test) for Team India since his international debut last July in the Port of Spain Test against the West Indies.
For a cricketer coming from an extremely humble background, making an impression at the highest level riding purely on performances in domestic cricket is never easy.
“Nothing much has changed. I keep focusing on what my focus has been right since my early days in cricket. The goal remains the same — to look for the right execution on the field and plan for tomorrow,” Mukesh told The Telegraph before leaving for Hyderabad late on Saturday evening.
“Yes, laying emphasis on the Ranji Trophy and the India ‘A’ matches worked a great deal for me. As for the IPL, I’ve only had a season so far (with Delhi Capitals). So, those matches for Bengal and the ‘A’ games played a pivotal role.”
The 30-year-old stands a decent chance of being picked for the T20 World Cup this June. At present though, all that’s in his mind is the England Test series beginning on Thursday in Hyderabad.
“At present, the attention is solely on the England Tests. If I get selected in the XI, I’ll analyse the conditions and do the job accordingly,” Mukesh said.
In these six months, Mukesh has had the gruelling experience of switching formats in a short time. “It really takes a hell lot of hard work, especially in such a short time. You need to train your mind.
“Power yoga is one of the things I do when I get time. It’s very useful as it helps me stay calm and cool.”
Valued tips
Staying regularly in touch with Jasprit Bumrah is proving to be “invaluable” for Mukesh. “Bumrahbhai keeps advising me on the yorker in particular. He says, ‘Tu bahut acchha yorker daalta hai. Jo kar raha hai, bas wahi karta jaa’ (You bowl the yorker well. Just keep doing what you have been). We talk quite regularly and he gives me other suggestions as well, which are obviously invaluable.
“(Bowling coach) Paras MhambreySir’s advice on the slower one, too, is something I’m working on. So yes, I’m just looking to sharpen my skills further in terms of bowling yorkers and the slower one, especially in T20 cricket.”
Pace camaraderie
The camaraderie among the quicks — Bumrah, Mohammed Siraj and him — certainly stood out during India’s series-levelling win in the Cape Town Test against South Africa, Mukesh acknowledged. “It’s quite similar to what myself, Akash (Deep) and Ishan Porel used to do in Bengal.
“Here also we discuss our respective roles: who will go on all-out attack and who focuses on keeping things tight with maiden overs. In Cape Town, Bumrahbhai was telling me to keep bowling those dot balls as that would add to their (Proteas) pressure (in the second innings).
“Such was the situation that I had to bowl those, which eventually proved to be beneficial for the team.”
