ICC WTC Final: Arzan Nagwaswalla wants to emulate Jasprit Bumrah’s solo training method in maiden India call up

ICC WTC Final, India vs New Zealand: Arzan Nagwaswalla was still four hours away from his home in Nargol in Valsad when he received a call from Gujarat Cricket Association Secretary Ashok Brahmbhatt. The call was to inform the 23-year-old bowler that he will be travelling with the Indian team for the inaugural World Test Championship against New Zealand. He says it was an unbelievable moment as he has achieved 50% of his dream. “From the Ahmedabad airport to my home, my phone did not stop ringing. Everyone from my family, friends, coaches, teammates called to congratulate me. I was at cloud nine. I hadn’t expected something like that could happen so early in my career. So it was surprising and exciting,” Nagwaswalla tells InsideSport excitedly.

The excitement is understandable. He is the first Parsi cricketer in nearly 50 years to make it to the senior team. Farokh Engineer was the last in 1975. A week before the call-up, Nagwaswalla was part of Mumbai Indians’ net bowling unit. But his stint ended prematurely when Covid-19 halted the tournament. However, he feels he learnt a lot from his time with IPL’s most successful team. It was a good learning experience, he says, with the five-time champions.

ICC WTC Final: Jasprit Bumrah the role model

“It was like a family and I learnt a lot from them. The foreign players like Kieron Pollard, Trent Boult and others were so down to earth. They would always encourage me and asked me not to change anything instead keep improving,” says Nagwaswalla who has 62 wickets at an average of 22.53 and a strike rate of 44.6. But one who stood out from the rest of the MI squad for young Nagwaswalla was India’s spearhead Jasprit Bumrah.

The Gujarat pacer, who now trains at local ground, would observe small habits of Bumrah and try to inculcate them in his training routine. One of them was the Indian pacer’s solo training. “Even after the training was over, Bumrah would train solo with just one stump. That really helped him in improving his line and length and also analyse the pitching of the ball. I have also started doing it now,” he says.

Nagwaswalla is now a hero of his district and so training in the open won’t come easy for the young leg. However, he has also found a way around it. “I have started training from 3 pm to 5 pm. After that, it’s the academy boys who train on the ground. In case they catch hold of me and ask why I ain’t training with them, I simply reply its BCCI protocol,” he chuckles.

ICC WTC Final: Looking forward to the England tour

It will be his debut tour with Virat Kohli and the boys. And while he has nerves due to the new responsibility, Nagwaswalla is excited for the new chapter of his life. Although a net bowler with the senior team, he looks at the England tour as an opportunity to hone his skills and set an example in his community too.

“Parsis normally are business-minded. Since I am the first after such a long time, everyone from the Parsi trust calls me to congratulate me. It feels good. Now, I can set an example for other aspiring cricketers from Parsi community and rest of the country,” he tells adding, “This tour will be of utmost importance. Getting picked for the inaugural WTC Championship is in itself an honour. I expect to get more mature and a better player after this series“.

Nagwaswalla is doing all he can to be in top shape, in case an opportunity arrives. Coming right from the MI camp, he understands that under Kohli, fitness is given equal importance. “I am in top shape. Training with Mumbai Indians was useful to attain the best fitness,” he tells.

If picked in the playing XI, he will be the fifth debutant for India in less than a year. He is not express but “can go up to 135kph”. And although he cannot bat, he is adding that skillset to his arsenal to better his chances. “I like to bowl to a plan and set a batsman up. I am hoping for a few matches. It will be exciting. I am also honing my batting skills in case needed,” he concludes.

Source: https://www.insidesport.co/