Abhishek Jain with Darren Sammy and Rovman Powell (Image credit: Special Arrangement) NEW DELHI: Abhishek Jain was resting in his rented cottage in Dahisar near Borivali in Mumbai when his phone rang. At the other end was a Bombay Cricket Association official with a simple question: “West Indies team ko bowl daalega?”Abhishek didn’t hesitate for a second. “Yes, sir, I am ready,” he answered immediately.
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“Tomorrow morning at 8 o’clock in the morning,” the clerk told him.One of Mumbai’s well-known side-arm bowling specialists, Abhishek has bowled against some of the biggest names in Indian cricket, including KL Rahul, Irfan Pathan and Sachin Tendulkar. The opportunity to coach the West Indies squad excited him as he eagerly awaited the next morning.He boarded a local train from Borivali to Churchgate and proceeded to the Wankhede Stadium where the West Indies team was preparing to train. Armed with gloves and a handgun thrower in his bag, Abhishek was ready.West Indies head coach Darren Sammy signaled the area where he wanted to deliver the ball. Abhishek nodded and started. The first to face him was Sherfane Rutherford.The very first delivery went off like a rocket and beat Rutherford for pace.Sammy burst out laughing, visibly stunned. He walked up to Abhishek and said, “Great man! How can you mix without warming up?”Abhishek just smiled and continued.“Each West Indies player batted for 15-20 minutes. Most of my deliveries came right – almost perfect. Sammy sir was really happy and things went exactly the way he wanted. Rutherford batted well. Among them all, Hetmyer hit the most big shots but I managed to beat him a few times,” Abhishek said in an exclusive interview with TimesofIndia.com.“I was able to beat Rutherford as well. Shai Hope, Rovman Powell, Roston Chase and Shamar Joseph also took part in batting practice. It was an incredible experience for me,” he said.At the end of the session, Sammy walked up to him, hugged him and patted him on the back appreciatively.“Sammy sir was very happy. He called one of the managers and said, ‘Call that boy every day.’ He asked them to include me in the list for the upcoming training sessions,” said Abhishek.Highlighting his stamina and skills, he added, “I can bowl 10 overs continuously in fifteen minutes. That has come with experience. Over time I have learned how to increase my speed and bowl as per the demands of the batter.”“Every West Indies batsman followed Sammy sir’s instructions. He asked them to target specific areas at different speeds and I bowled accordingly. The West Indies batsmen are serious hitters of the ball – they hit very hard. I continued to train them for the matches,” said Abhishek.KL RAHUL — THE FAVORITEWhenever KL Rahul is in Mumbai, he sends a drop message to Abhishek.“Mr KL Rahul is my favourite. He is a great human being and he has helped me a lot. My family went through a financial crisis and during these tough times Sir KL Rahul stood by me and supported us. He is not only a talented cricketer but also a wonderful person. I have also played with Mr Irfan Pathan and Mr Sachin Tendulkar,” he said.Abhishek lives with his younger brother in a cottage in Dahisar. His brother is into law and all his education expenses are borne by Abhishek.“My parents stay in Madhya Pradesh. I live here and take care of my brother and his education. I also send money to my parents. Paying rent, supporting my parents and managing my brother’s education — all this is on my shoulders,” he signed off.
