Orissa hails Shiv Sundar Das's showing

M I Khan in Bhubaneswar

Shiv Sundar Das may be a new cricket hero for the country, but for his club mates, coach, parents and aspiring players of Orissa, he was already a star in the making long back.

Fondly called Budha by his family and close friends, Das's century in the Nagpur Test against Zimbabwe is just the start of more laurels, say those who know him in Orissa.

"Budha is going to be a good opener for the country after a long time," says Kishore Mania, Das's coach, who has been training him for the last 10 years.

"I always knew that this boy is a class apart, which he has ultimately proved."

Mania was all praise for the lad's confidence, saying he did not show any signs of nervousness in the nineties while on his way to his maiden century, in only his third Test. "It was one of the best innings we have seen from his blade in the past five years. This century will do a world of good to his confidence."

Captain of the Orissa Ranji Trophy team, Das is the second player after Debashish Mohanty from Orissa, better known for its poverty and hunger, to play for India in Test cricket. Few may be aware of the fact that he idolises none other than former master batsman Sunil Gavaskar. His club mates still recount his joy after he met the 'Little Master' some time back and discussed batting techniques with him.

Orissa Cricket Association secretary Ashirbad Behra said Das's century will be "recorded forever in Orissa's cricket history. "It is a proud moment not only for the OCA but the entire cricket-loving people of Orissa," he said.

Debabrata Kanugo, a former Orissa Ranji player who belongs to Das's club -- Pragati Sporting, praised Das's dedication and commitment. He said he was always the first to reach the ground for practice and never missed a practice session in the last ten years. "I have seen few cricketers with so much involvement in the game."

OCA president Pravat Mishra said, "Sheer merit and hard work fetched Das a place in the national side, which he proved beyond doubt."

Pankaj Patnaik, secretary of Saheed Sporting Club, main rivals of Pragati Club, said, "He should have been selected for India long back."

The 23-year-old opening batsman hails from a middle class family. He is the youngest son of Uttam Das, a retired school teacher, and lives in Tankapani Road in the old town, in Bhubaneswar. Unlike most of his club mates, he hardly enjoys a sound financial set up on the home front. This can be gauged from the fact that he rode for about 15 kms on his old moped to thank his coach and club mates immediately after learning that he was selected to the Indian team last month.

Looking back at last year's scores, it really was hard for the selectors to ignore Das's claim for an India cap. Nearly 700 runs in seven Ranji matches last season; centuries in the Ranji trophy, Challenger trophy, Duleep trophy and Wills trophy are some things few in the country could boast of last season.

Besides, he was a member of the Rest of India team, Board President's team and also the India A team that toured Los Angeles last year to play a five-match series against the Adam Glichirist-led Australian A team.

In fact his sterling performance last year earned him a place in the National Cricket Academy, which helped him a lot to improved his technique and physical fitness. A 90-day stint at the Australian Cricket Academy also stood him in good stead. Indeed, it gave him lot of confidence for the tests against Bangladesh and Zimbabve.

Paceman Debashish Mohanty, Orissa's first Test cricketer, now languishing in the wilderness, told rediff.com: "Das is a talented player; he proved that he was given break at the right time.He is diligent and his approach to the game is very good. I am sure he will perform well in future too."

Das's father is a happy man. He feels that the hard work has paid off. "I don't often go to temples. But after Budha was selected for the Test team, I have started believing in God," he said. He has already visited the Lord Jagannath temple in Puri and Lingaraj temple in Bhubaneswar to pray for good performances by his son.

Budha's sister Sucheta has kept a diya burning at home since November 10, the day Das made his Test debut at Dhaka. Though his mother, Kanchanabala, does not know much about cricket, she knows that all the hard word her son has put in over the years has paid off. "It's the advise of his coach -- on concentration -- that really worked wonders. At night, Budha would hang a ball from the ceiling and concentrate on it for hours," she informed.

Mail Cricket Editor