‘200, 300 mar de’: Coach Vaibhav Sooryavanshi in huge demand ahead of Duleep Trophy final

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi (PTI Photo) Calcutta: On Teachers’ Day, on the eve of the Duleep Trophy final, Manish Ojha has one special wish – that his most famous charge, Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, should produce a record knock when East Zone takes on South Zone in the title clash from Sunday.Vaibhav’s childhood coach, who watched the East Zone semi-final in Bengaluru, is in Chennai for Sunday’s title clash against South Zone and hopes the 15-year-old can make the most of where he has already left his mark. Vaibhav scored 104 for India A against Australia A in the Youth Test here on October 1, two years ago, and Ojha believes the familiarity could work in his favor as he looks to strengthen his red-ball credentials.However, Vaibhav will not be the only player from Bihar and Jharkhand under the limelight. East’s campaign has been fueled by a strong contingent from both states, with captain Ishan Kishan, Vaibhav, Anukul Roy and Mukesh Kumar regulars in the side, while Virat Singh and Kumar Kushagra add further depth. They are complemented by Bengal’s Mohammed Shami and Abhimanyu Easwaran, giving East a mix of youth and proven red-ball experience.The stakes are higher as the final is expected to be watched by a national selection committee led by chief selector Ajit Agarkar. For Ishan and Vaibhav in particular, the match offers a chance to underline their red-ball value in front of the selectors and strengthen their options for India’s Test setup.“Vaibhav has his own method and his own way of running. In the end it comes down to performance and whether you run for your team. He does. His style of running is different,” Ojha said. IT’S WORTH from Chennai on Saturday.The coach is also impressed by the maturity that Vaibhav is starting to show despite his age and aggressive attitude.“He’s not even 16 yet, so give him time. Slowly, how he’s playing, you can see how maturity is coming into his game. Depending on the situation in the match, he’s gradually starting to change his game,” said Ojha.“When he turns 24, I feel he will have another eight to 12 years of cricket ahead of him. Then you will expect a lot from him and I believe he will live up to those expectations.”East’s return to the Finals after 14 years is historic. Their last Duleep Trophy triumph came in the 2012-13 season when they beat Central Zone in the final in Chennai. The return to the city gives the current side the opportunity to recreate this piece of history.Former India and Jharkhand cricketer Shahbaz Nadeem believes East’s balance makes them strong contenders against the South Zone.“Look at Shami, look at Ishan, look at Virat Singh and Anukul. There is a lot of experience and young blood there. I think this mixture of youth and experience is very good and I would say a lethal combination,” said Nadeem.For Nadeem, just reaching the final after such a long wait is a significant achievement for East.“It’s always a premier tournament in India. If you’re playing the finals of such a tournament and you’re representing a zonal team, there’s nothing greater than getting an opportunity to perform there. East Zone is reaching the finals after many years, so I think it’s very important for the boys,” he said.Nadeem also expects Anukul to play an important role in Chennai after a productive run in domestic cricket and recently with India A.“I think he will be quite useful at the Chennai wicket as he also bowls. His batting is also a plus point and his fielding is another plus point. It will be an important match for him to prove that he can deliver and give a statement to the selectors that ‘I belong at that level too’,” he said.Meanwhile, Teachers’ Day on Saturday has a special resonance for Ojha. He is in Chennai watching the pupil he helped shape take the next step towards the highest level.His wish for Sunday is simple. “Main do chahta hun wo 200 mar de, 300 mar de, sab record tod de (I wish) him to score 200, 300 (in the game) and break all the records,” Ojha says jokingly, hoping Vaibhav turns his knowledge of the Chennai pitch into a big statement with the red ball — and maybe another record to remember.