Harshal Patel, the next big thing in Indian bowling?

When the curators at the Chinnaswamy Stadium prepared an unfriendly pitch for spin, keeping Haryana spinner Amit Mishra in mind, and made a batting track that would probably give Karnataka an edge over the visitors in the Ranji Trophy quarterfinal match they perhaps didn’t imagine that their clever planning would backfire. All thanks to rookie medium pacer Harshal Patel who has almost punctured the home team’s chances of making the semifinal cut.

The opening day’s play purely belonged to the 21-year-old Gujarati lad. He clinically demolished the starry Karnataka line-up with 8 for 40 figures — the best in this year’s Ranji Trophy season. “I think I will cherish Stuart Binny’s wicket. He managed to beat my first two outswingers but I got him in the third,” a delighted Patel told Sportskeeda.com.

Binny, who had scored a 189 in the previous match against Uttar Pradesh, was only on 22 when Patel bowled him out. Patel’s technique of keeping the ball on and off the stump tested the experienced Karnataka batsmen. Patel’s feat makes him only the third bowler after Kapil Dev and Joginder Sharma to get the best figures in first class cricket for Haryana.

Speaking to Sportskeeda.com post the first innings, Patel talks about his fabulous debut season and his bold decision to stay back in India and pursue cricket as opposed to his parents who relocated to New Jersey.

When you entered this game against Karnataka, was there any extra pressure on you, especially because there are no other well-known bowlers for Haryana apart from Amit Mishra?

Yes, that’s true. We don’t really have popular players in the squad and that perhaps is why there was no pressure. Nobody really knows us. We just wanted to stick to our basics and do what we have been doing all along.

Being a debut bowler, what does it feel like to have the best figures this season?

Honestly I didn’t expect this at all. I also didn’t expect a five-wicket haul. Even after the five wickets, I didn’t think I would end up with eight wickets. I am obviously delighted.

You stayed back in India when your parents relocated to the U.S; how difficult was it to make that choice especially at such a young age?

I was hardly 17 when my parents decided to move to the U.S. Both my mother and father are in the aviation sector whereas my brother works as a software developer. It was quite hard to convince my parents. I just asked them to give me two years time. I told them if I don’t do anything noticeable in cricket, then I will move back with them. But thankfully things clicked for me and I got picked for the Under-19 World Cup in New Zealand.

How challenging is it to live on your own and pursue such a demanding sport?

Initially it was very challenging. It took me close to a year to sort of get used to staying alone and take care of my training and diet all by myself. But it’s been four years now and I am kind of used to it. When I am not playing cricket, I go visit my parents. At the moment they are here in India and are following my game.

You had a one year contract with Mumbai Indians; how was that experience?

I got to learn a lot during the camps. I learnt how to bowl in the death overs. Bowling in T20 cricket is very different and the lessons I learnt there helped me with my T20 first class games.

Is there anybody in particular that you look up to in cricket?

For me, players who beat the odds and climb up the ranks, after going through a slump in their career inspire me a lot. Someone like Ganguly or Zaheer Khan really inspire me a lot. Every player goes through a rough phase, but it really is about how they bounce back, that matters. I didn’t really have a good season after the under-19 world cup; the past two years have been tough without any great performance. It really helps to draw inspiration from seniors at times like this.