NEW DELHI: Musheer Khan on Thursday showcased his batting prowess with an unbeaten century, propelling India B to 202 for seven on the opening day of the Duleep Trophy match at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.
The Musheer ton came after India A bowlers had reduced his side to 94 for seven in bowling-friendly conditions.
The 19-year-old focused on playing close to the body to combat the ball’s movement in overcast weather.
“I wanted to play as many balls as possible without thinking too much about runs. I wanted to bat the whole day, and I was taking it session by session. The ball was swinging and cutting when I came to bat,” Musheer said in the post-day press meet.
“So, I was trying to play the ball as close to my body as possible, and was looking to avoid those risky shots. I knew runs would eventually come,” he added.
Musheer was not alone in his efforts, finding support from late-order batter Navdeep Saini. Their partnership yielded an unbroken 108 runs for the eighth wicket, significantly bolstering the team’s total.
“When wickets were falling at the other end, I told myself to play intelligently and look for a partnership. Then Saini bhai gave me a lot of confidence saying he will play whether it is two balls or six balls in an over, and just keep faith in him.
“He was also able to match my thinking and approach while batting. But generally, I was trying to defend the first three or four balls and then take a single,” he elaborated.
A notable aspect of Musheer’s innings was his adept handling of Kuldeep Yadav. Five of his ten boundaries came off the left-arm wrist spinner, including two successive shots down the V. Conversations with senior players like Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant played a crucial role in his preparation.
“This is the second time I am playing Kuldeep bhai. We have some experienced players in our side like Shubman bhai and Rishabh bhai who told me which of Kuldeep bhai’s balls will be effective and off which ones I can score runs. But once I got set, batting became easy on this wicket,” said Musheer.
The 19-year-old Mumbaikar also termed the opportunity to play in Duleep Trophy as a fine learning experience.
“This is a good learning experience for me as there are a lot of senior players in my team and in opposition.
“I am observing the way they think, their confidence and how they prepare for a practice session and a match,” he added.
The Musheer ton came after India A bowlers had reduced his side to 94 for seven in bowling-friendly conditions.
The 19-year-old focused on playing close to the body to combat the ball’s movement in overcast weather.
“I wanted to play as many balls as possible without thinking too much about runs. I wanted to bat the whole day, and I was taking it session by session. The ball was swinging and cutting when I came to bat,” Musheer said in the post-day press meet.
“So, I was trying to play the ball as close to my body as possible, and was looking to avoid those risky shots. I knew runs would eventually come,” he added.
Musheer was not alone in his efforts, finding support from late-order batter Navdeep Saini. Their partnership yielded an unbroken 108 runs for the eighth wicket, significantly bolstering the team’s total.
“When wickets were falling at the other end, I told myself to play intelligently and look for a partnership. Then Saini bhai gave me a lot of confidence saying he will play whether it is two balls or six balls in an over, and just keep faith in him.
“He was also able to match my thinking and approach while batting. But generally, I was trying to defend the first three or four balls and then take a single,” he elaborated.
A notable aspect of Musheer’s innings was his adept handling of Kuldeep Yadav. Five of his ten boundaries came off the left-arm wrist spinner, including two successive shots down the V. Conversations with senior players like Shubman Gill and Rishabh Pant played a crucial role in his preparation.
“This is the second time I am playing Kuldeep bhai. We have some experienced players in our side like Shubman bhai and Rishabh bhai who told me which of Kuldeep bhai’s balls will be effective and off which ones I can score runs. But once I got set, batting became easy on this wicket,” said Musheer.
The 19-year-old Mumbaikar also termed the opportunity to play in Duleep Trophy as a fine learning experience.
“This is a good learning experience for me as there are a lot of senior players in my team and in opposition.
“I am observing the way they think, their confidence and how they prepare for a practice session and a match,” he added.