Sameer Khan stands barely 5 ft tall and some months again he accomplished his sixteenth birthday.
On Thursday afternoon, the category XI pupil from Kapurthala was making life tough for the 6’4” tall Marcus Stoinis throughout Australia’s web session forward of the opening ODI in opposition to India.
The marginally-built Sameer bowled his sluggish left-arm orthodox tweakers to Stoinis for a very good 20-odd minutes and it was an interesting sight to see a world batter being troubled by a schoolboy.
“Nicely bowled,” Stoinis acknowledged the teen a few occasions.
Appearances could be misleading and it appeared Sameer was in a position to hurry Stoinis with the tempo of his deliveries and by maintaining a flatter trajectory.
“I acquired Stoinis leg-before a few occasions as we speak. The coaches didn’t ask me to bowl any particular line however I bowled what got here naturally to me. Stoinis was having some issue when he went on the again foot. I bowled quick and pitched it up,” Sameer stated after the web session.
Sameer has been included in Punjab’s U-19 probables’ record and has been put up in a neighborhood lodge for the final two days in order that he can bowl at Australian batters.
“Yesterday, I bowled for a prolonged interval to Steve Smith. It was an important expertise. Bahot accha laga. Unhone effectively bowled bhi kahaa (It felt good bowling to the Aussies. A few of them even complimented me),” stated the son of a bed-sheet vendor in Kapurthala.
“We’re 4 brothers and a sister and my mother and father are fully supportive of my resolution to pursue the game. I performed the Punjab T20 League and acquired an opportunity in seven video games, acquired 5 wickets.”
With no Ashton Agar in its ranks (he’s on paternity go away), Australia probably wanted some high quality time in opposition to finger spinners since Kuldeep Yadav might be off obligation for the primary two video games.
On the Australia nets on the day, it was extra about left-arm spinners, with the intention to counter the Ravindra Jadeja menace, and therefore 4 left-arm spinners have been bowling in tandem alongside Josh Hazlewood, Pat Cummins and a Mitchell Starc.