Gurnoor Brar credits India ‘A’ tour and Mohammed Siraj for international success

LUCKNOW: One of the thrilling sights of cricket is to see a fast bowler run in, release the ball with great speed and push the batsmen with his pace. This is why Gurnoor Brar has taken Indian cricket by storm. The 26-year-old was recently rewarded with six wickets in Afghanistan in two ODIs in vastly different conditions – Dharamshala and Lucknow. More than the wickets, it was his ability to hit the board hard by consistently bowling over 140km/h that caught the eye.“I believe in myself and whatever I do, whether it’s bowling a hard length or a fast ball. Results don’t matter. Preparation is important for me,” the Punjab pacer said after taking 3/60 in the second ODI here. Some Indian quicks have come to the limelight in recent times with bursts of speed in the IPL before fading into obscurity, but Brar seems to have broken that mould.His IPL appearances have been sporadic and he is yet to get a game with Gujarat Titans despite spending two seasons with the franchise. However, he seems to have taken it in stride. “Nehra sir, Rabada, Siraj bhai, Prasidh bhai and Ishant Sharma are there. I was there waiting for my chance. But at the same time I was watching where they were making mistakes and where they were doing well. For me it was about how much more I can learn,” he said.Pacer believes that India’s ‘A’ set-up has acted as an important bridge between domestic and international cricket, adding that Siraj has been a constant support. “The India ‘A’ setup is obviously a big thing. I tried to replicate exactly what I did in Ranji – fast bowling, hard length shots and swing the ball – for India ‘A’. Siraj bhai was also with me,” added Brar.