Young paceman Aavishkar Salvi got his first step right and is now keen to cement his place in the Indian team by picking more wickets and not bothering much about the fact that he may have to make way for seniors once they return.
The 21-year-old paceman made an impressive debut against Bangladesh in the opening match of the TVS Cup triangular series on Friday following a surprise gesture from captain Sourav Ganguly to gave him the honour of opening the bowling attack.
The frail-looking speedster responded to the captain's confidence in him and returned impressive figures of 7-1-15-2. Now, he is determined to carry on the good work.
"The two wickets have given me a lot of confidence. I was a little jittery playing my first match but my captain backed me. I soon settled down," the soft-spoken Salvi said after his debut match.
Salvi got the selectors' nod only after pace spearhead Javagal Srinath decided to rest after a strenuous World Cup and left-handed paceman Ashish Nehra opted out because of an injury which requires surgery.
And like many of the younger breed of cricketers, he grabbed the opportunity with both hands.
Salvi, who hails from Thane, on the outskirts of Mumbai, is not too worried about his fate after the regular pacemen return to the squad.
"My job is to bowl well. I am not really concerned whether I will be in the team later or not," he said.
For a cricketer who came into the domestic season just two seasons ago, Salvi has made rapid strides and has already been hailed as a great talent, particularly after his impressive tour with the India 'A' to the West Indies recently.
Interim coach Ashok Malhotra singled him out for special praise and even described him as the "find" of the Carribean tour during which he picked 29 wickets.
Malhotra, who has watched his progress from the beginning, also helped him feel at home in the senior team.
After picking as many as 60 wickets in 14 matches in his first season at the domestic level and his good show in the West Indies, Salvi was understandably quite confident of making it to the national team.
"I knew I had done well and had a good chance of securing a berth in the national team. I was confident."
The cricketing background in the family has helped Salvi blossom into a mature cricketer and his parents have been a great source of inspiration.
"My father has played cricket and understands what a player has to go through. My parents have always supported me and I am really grateful to them," he said.
He also owes a lot to Frank Tyson, the great English fast bowler, who had modelled his action during a camp in Mumbai.
"I was lucky to have been selected for that camp in Mumbai. Tyson corrected my bowling action and worked with me. His tips proved very useful as I have gone from strength to strength," admitted the bowler.
The lanky speedster is now concentrating on working on a few deliveries like the disguised slow one and the yorker, knowing fully well that variety more than pace is the key to succeed at the highest level.
Salvi believes that luck also comes into play in the hard life of a fast bowler.
