It's the second over of Delhi Capital's IPL 2020 opener against Chennai Super Kings at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai and the fourth ball (or fifth considering he bowled a wide off the first ball) of Avesh Khan's first over. He delivers full, outside off in the fourth stump channel. The ball swings in and then further nips back in after landing. Opener Faf du Plessis is caught in his crease as he looks to drive it down the ground but he is done in by the movement in the air and off the pitch. It hits the back leg as he misses. Avesh doesn't go wild in celebration; he just lifts his hands with fingers pointing towards the sky. Du Plessis doesn't review the LBW decision. Avesh has his first. That of CSK's highest run-getter of last campaign.
Swing, seam, accuracy, and pace. Everything was on display in that delivery and these are the skills we relate Avesh with. It's just that he's had few opportunities to showcase them on the global stage.
After bowling two overs in the Powerplay, Avesh comes back at the death, in the 16th over. He hits the hard length to MS Dhoni, who's just arrived in the middle. He lets out a grunt as he bowls it outside off. The CSK captain goes for the pull but only manages to get an inside edge onto the stumps. The celebrations are a little bit animated this time as he pumps his fist in the air, shouting 'Come on' with a half-hearted leap. He gives away just seven in the over and then five in the next to end with 4-0-23-2.
Those two wickets set the tone for Avesh in the tournament.
"It felt really good (taking du Plessis and Dhoni wickets)," Avesh tells Firstpost. "First of all, I was ready for this chance. I was mentally prepared that I have to play and perform well. So the goal was to belt out an impressive performance in the first match and show good confidence in my bowling. And that's what happened. I bowled two overs in the powerplay, two at the death, and more importantly, the team won and my performance got counted. That confidence helped (going forward)."
Avesh went on to pick 12 more wickets before the pandemic forced suspension of the league. He was the second-highest wicket-taker with 14 wickets with an impressive average of 16.50, giving away just 7.70 runs per over. While he has been performing consistently in the domestic arena in the last couple of years, the IPL performance sprung him into the limelight. Avesh’s wickets list included the likes of Faf du Plessis, MS Dhoni, Virat Kohli, Jonny Bairstow, David Miller.
It's an exciting as well as a crucial time for the fast bowler as he will be flying to England after being picked as one of the three standby quicks for the England tour, which consists of the World Test Championship final and five Tests against England.
There's always an opportunity lurking around the corner and then it suddenly knocks on your door — just ask T Natarajan or Washington Sundar. Avesh is ready for that chance if and when it arrives and is prepared for the red-ball challenge as well.
"I want to give my 100 percent (on the England tour)," Avesh says. "If and when by chance I get an opportunity to play, then I should be ready. I will be always ready to play. Even though I am in the standbys, I will set my mentality in such a way that I am already in the team. And in every net and practice session, I will try to give my 100 percent, learn as much as I can and improve my bowling."
The hard work in 'A' setup and the domestic arena is starting to pay dividends and the England tour in a way could prove to be the next big step for Avesh. He's been to England as a net bowler in the 2019 World Cup and bowled with the Dukes ball on 'A' tours. That experience will be more than helpful this time around. Yes, it's a big and long tour, but he doesn't want to put too much pressure on him.
"I would like to improve and not take too much pressure on myself and just enjoy the game. In the IPL, I enjoyed my game a lot, kept myself relaxed so I will bowl with the same mentality in England. And I have always bowled with enjoyment with the red-ball in Ranji Trophy, India A, so will try to bowl the same way always."
The Madhya Pradesh pacer has travelled as a net bowler with the Indian team in the past as well - on the 2018 South Africa tour, at the 2019 World Cup, 2018 Asia Cup and during the recent home series against England as well and that experience of bowling with and against best has played an important role in his development as a bowler so far.
"It has helped a lot (bowling in the nets)," says Avesh. "I used to go to the nets mainly with the aim of learning from the likes of Ishant, Shami, Umesh bhai. I used to discuss my bowling concerns with them and then used to employ their suggestions in domestic cricket. I used to ask them how they used to make themselves match ready and prepare themselves for the big matches and learn."
The learning process has continued in the IPL as well. He's been a part of Delhi Capitals for four years now and having a formidable pace battery in the dressing room including some world-class performers has been a source of motivation and constant learning.
However, that strong pace line-up has meant that Avesh's chances have been few and far. He could get just one match each in the last two seasons and overall has played just nine matches in four seasons. With late arrivals of Kagiso Rabada, Anrich Nortje, and niggles to Ishant Sharma and Umesh Yadav this season, Avesh's opportunity finally arrived. Coach Ricky Ponting informed Avesh well in advance that he was going to play the first match. That was the game-changer.
"This time I got the chance to play from the first match," Avesh says. "So I looked to continue (the momentum). In the last two seasons, I hadn't got many chances but I was bowling the same way. You gain a different kind of confidence if you are playing right from the first match. I had confidence throughout. I did well in the first match, against CSK, and after that my rhythm was good and I continued doing the good work."
Systematic and skill-based training in the build-up to the IPL acted as an early catalyst.
"I ready myself in such a way that I am playing right from the first game. Before IPL, I used to practice specific 8-10 sessions like yorkers, slower ones, wide yorkers, bouncers. The goal was to make sure I keep good rhythm before the IPL, be fit and bowl well."
The preparation coupled with confidence and an aggressive mindset kept him ticking. Avesh bowled in all three phases of the game and impressed. Apart from being the second-highest wicket-taker, he bowled the fourth-highest number of dot balls (72). He adapted well and that cocktail of variations, that has helped him evolve in white-ball cricket in the last few years, kept the batsmen guessing.
"It's not that I used to mentally prepare myself that I want to bowl just in this phase," explains the 24-year-old. "My plan was to take wickets whenever I get the ball in hand.
"The plan was to bowl one or two slower ones in the over in order to make sure that I am not predictable. I used to slip in slower ones time and again and the batsmen remained confused."
For a tall pacer bowling with decent pace, the slower ones did surprise the batsmen and Avesh kept nailing the yorkers at the death as well.
"I used to bowl the slower one earlier as well," Avesh says. "But in the last two seasons, I didn't get that many matches to showcase my skills. If a young player gets an opportunity and a chance to play all the matches, then he can do well. I do work a lot on yorkers continuously because in the slog you won't survive without it."
Having his friend and now the captain beside him played a big role. A captain-bowler relationship is vital in cricket. Rishabh and Avesh have known each other since the U-19 days. They were a part of the U-19 World Cup team and share very good camaraderie. Avesh was in fact India's highest wicket-taker in the 2016 U-19 WC.
Constant inputs from behind the stumps added to the vast database of information in Avesh's mind.
"Pant supported me a lot," Avesh says. "We have played U-19 cricket together. The coach told me that you’re playing the first match and then I spoke with Rishabh, he told me 'bindaas bowling karna apna koi dikkat nahi hai aur enjoy karna, baaki kuch raha wo field pe baat karenge' (Bowl without any fear, enjoy, if there is anything else we will talk it out on the field).
"He was helping a lot from behind the stumps. He picks up the batsman's initial movement well and used to tell me in which areas to bowl and which type of balls to bowl, sometimes in between the balls, sometimes before the start of an over. He used to understand what the batsman was trying to do and what kind of shot he is looking to hit and used the make me bowl accordingly. It brought me quite a bit of success as well."
That success was showcased well in the Dhoni wicket.
"Mahi bhai hadn't played a match for a long time and I and Rishabh had spoken about what to do and what not, so he said, 'let's keep five fielders inside the circle and create pressure even if he hits a six it's no problem. But just don't give him a hit-me ball by yourself'."
Avesh bowled the hard length outside off and Dhoni dragged it on.
The captain's confidence and inputs along with coach Ponting's motivation were a real confidence booster.
"This is my fourth year with Ricky sir, he always backs and motivates me. He quite likes my attitude," he says. "He backed me a lot and gave me a chance this year so I utilised it (to the fullest). He used to talk to me after every match, where can I improve. He used to tell me, 'never be satisfied with your performance, In IPL every match is different and a new one, you will have to give your 100 percent in every match.'"
"After 2-3 matches he said, the way you are bowling it's pretty impressive, keep continuing this. Try to win a match single-handedly, you will feel really good. So those words were quite motivating and when someone of the stature of Pointing speaks these words it feels good."
It's not just the white-ball cricket, Avesh has done well with the red ball too in the domestic arena. He's been part of first-class setup for seven years now but in the last couple of years, has taken his performance one notch higher. He's been Madhya Pradesh's highest wicket-taker in the last two Ranji Trophy seasons. He's also been a constant part of 'A' setup of late.
Just like the white-ball, the key to success with the red ball is the wicket-taking mindset. Add McGrathesque accuracy to it along with the ability to swing both ways and it becomes a deadly combo.
"I bowl with good pace," Avesh explains. "I try to hit good length as much as possible and get wickets through it in red-ball cricket. Keep the line on the fourth stump or off stump, keep bowing continuously in one area, and from there try to bowl inswing and outswing because that is one line from where you can induce an edge, LBW or bowled, all three options.
"I really enjoy bowling with the red ball. Always look to pick wickets early on, two or three wickets while bowling with the new ball which develops good momentum. I bowl according to the wicket and the batsman. I utilise my bouncers well and can bowl the reverse swing well when it's reversing."
Along with variations, Avesh has tried to employ that red-ball accuracy in white-ball cricket as well and it was on display in Kohli's dismissal in Ahmedabad where the DC pacer made Kohli chop one on.
"The plan was to bowl on off and fourth stump continuously and create pressure," Avesh recalls Kohli's wicket.
It was a good length delivery outside off, nipped back in. Kohli looked to steer it to the third man but ended up dragging it on.
As Avesh gets ready to take the flight to England, he has confidence and momentum on his side. Yes, continuous quarantines can be tough but he's just thinking about his cricket and keeping a positive mindset. While he doesn't watch television, he's keeping himself busy talking to friends phone from a Mumbai hotel. It has been a constant source of enjoyment for him.
Avesh has experienced a meteoric rise through the ranks right from age-group cricket and the success he's achieved over the last couple of years has helped him get closer to the next big step in his career. He doesn't want to do anything differently now. While keeping his mind clear, he wants to bowl with the same rhythm in England.
"The way I performed in the IPL, everyone must have seen it and because of that, my name came in the stand-by (for England tour). I have performed well in Ranji Trophy as well in the last two years.
"Koshish yehi hai ki aise hi performance karte rahu aur jald se jald India khelne ko dekhu. (The effort is to keep performing the same way and play for India as soon as possible)."
If luck might have it, that opportunity might knock on Avesh's door as early as in England.
And Avesh will indeed be ‘ready' for it.
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