Kumar Kushagra’s call to India gives the youth of Jharkhand a reason to dream

Kumar Kushagra (PTI Photo) Calcutta: Kumar Kushagra’s first India call-up has given Jharkhand’s young Ranji Trophy squad another reason to believe, with coach Ratan Kumar hoping the batsman’s rise to the national team will inspire his teammates to follow suit as they prepare for a tough away game against Maharashtra in Pune.Originally drafted into the India A squad as a replacement for Rishabh Pant, Kushagra was handed India’s first senior selection for the final two ODI tour of New Zealand on Friday. While Jharkhand will miss the youngster’s services, Ratan believes his success can boost the team’s morale.“As a coach, I feel on top of the world. One guy we have been with for 2-3 years, if he gets a chance for India, the whole team feels very good,” Ratan said ahead of STOI’s second round match in Pune.The coach recalled how the news reached the team after the team arrived in Pune. Kushagra had visited Jamshedpur a few days ago when Ratan met him at a hotel, but India’s possible selection was not discussed.“When we got here, the guys got the news. Everyone was talking about it at dinner. Someone said to the team, ‘Sir, you see, he’s been selected.’ The pick came a little late yesterday but everyone was very happy,” Ratan said. “The message in the group was that he deserves the spot.For Ratan, Kushagra’s success could also inspire Jharkhand’s young team, whose average age is around 24, to aim for similar honours.“Young people and friends feel that I can do it too. Among us, if a player is playing there (for India), everyone feels inside that we can go there too. So that’s a very good sign,” he added.Jharkhand will look to carry that positivity into their Ranji Trophy Group C second leg against Maharashtra at the MCA Stadium from Sunday. The visitors opened their campaign with three wickets against Kerala in Jamshedpur after securing a first innings lead, while Maharashtra opened with a win over Services at the Palam Ground in New Delhi.The batting unit put in a strong performance in Jharkhand’s opener with young opener Shikhar Mohan, skipper Virat Singh and Aditya Singh scoring centuries. Utkarsh Singh took five wickets in the match, while left-arm spinner Manishi and all-rounder Md Kounain Quraishi also made useful contributions.Jharkhand will have another option in the spin department with veteran all-rounder Anukul Roy returning after his assignment to India A. His comeback will set up healthy competition with youngster Quraishi for a place in the playing eleven.“Whoever best suits the needs of the team will be in the playing XI. Depending on the situation, we let the players play. It depends on whose skills are needed in that particular match,” Ratan said, stressing that the selection will be dictated by the team’s conditions and requirements.The red ground at Gahunje could offer some help to the pacers, giving Sushant Mishra and Saurabh Shekhar the focus of Maharashtra’s formidable batting line-up.In-form skipper Prithvi Shaw and veteran batsman Ankit Bawne will be challenged, while the hosts will be further bolstered by the return of regular skipper Ruturaj Gaikwad.Ratan, meanwhile, was encouraged by Jharkhand’s all-round performance in the opening game and believes there is room to build on that performance. “The boys just need to play, then we will certainly play very good cricket,” he said.Jharkhand will now look to parlay that confidence into another solid performance on the road against a strong Maharashtra side buoyed by a winning start.