Gurnoor Brar, India’s newest pace sensation, feels that his smooth transition to international cricket was made possible by years of domestic cricket practice and the exposure he had from the India A team before taking on the greatest platform.
In his first ODI series against Afghanistan, the fast bowler from Punjab has impressed with his pace and control.
“The India A setup is obviously a big thing for me. If we perform in the Ranji Trophy, we get picked for India A, the Duleep Trophy or the Irani Cup. When I got the call-up for India A, I was very happy,” PTI quoted Brar as saying after India’s series-clinching 170-run win in Lucknow.
With his pace, bounce, and capacity to deliver yorkers under pressure, the 26-year-old has been one of India’s most impressive players in the series. Over the course of the two ODIs, he has taken six wickets in 15.5 overs.
“It was the same for me as when I bowled in Ranji, bowling fast, hitting a hard length and swinging the ball. I tried to replicate the exact same thing in India A and hit the same lines.”
Brar, who is six feet five inches tall, is renowned for being a “hit the deck” bowler who can rattle batters with short deliveries.
“I don’t think about that (reputation) much. I believe in myself and whatever I am doing, whether it is hard length or fast-paced bowling. I tried to replicate that here as well.”
Brar believes he has only begun to realize his full potential despite his positive start.
“In these two matches, I wanted to do better from my end. I know that I can do better than I bowled today. Hopefully, in the coming matches, I will be better.”
Brar, who warmed the bench for the Gujarat Titans during the most recent IPL season, attributed his rapid development as a fast bowler to the caliber of the bowlers in his immediate vicinity.
“There is a very good atmosphere in GT. There is (Ashish) Nehra sir, (Kagiso) Rabada, (Mohammed) Siraj bhai, Prasidh (Krishna) bhai and Ishant Sharma, so you get to learn a lot from them. Obviously, every player wants to get a chance to play, and I was also waiting for my chance there.
“But at the same time, I was observing where they were making mistakes and where they were doing well. For me, it was about how much more I could learn so that when I got my chance, I could do better. I am thankful to God that I got my chance to show what I can do with India.”
One of the hallmarks of Brar’s games has been his efficacy near the end, with the young player giving yorkers a lot of attention.
“According to me, every fast bowler should work on yorkers. I work on my death bowling to see how consistently I can bowl yorkers because when you have to bowl at the death, yorkers are very useful, especially when good hitters come in.”
He claimed that he now bowls with more flexibility thanks to the Indian team management’s assistance.
“The management and bowling coach back me a lot, which gives me the chance to bowl more openly. They didn’t give me any new tips; they just told me to back my strength.”
Brar went on to say that strategy and variation were just as important in white-ball bowling as sheer pace.
“You can’t just bowl fast. Many batsmen like pace if there is nothing in the wicket. It becomes about how we plan against a good opposition or a good batsman and how we set our field positions.”
The pacer also discussed how crucial it is to modify his lengths according to the circumstances.
“If your outswing is good, every batsman faces problems, so I try to swing it as much as I can. When the swing is less, I push my length back.”
He mentioned the conditions in the second ODI, where swing bowlers had less support due to the intense heat.
“The ball wasn’t swinging much due to the heat and the wicket. So we adjusted the plan. If we don’t get swing, we put the ball back. It all works according to the batsman, the wicket, and the match situation.”
Brar, who has known India captain Shubman Gill since his early days in Punjab cricket, has also had the chance to share the field with him during the series.
“Friendship has its own place, and playing for the team has its own place. We used to practise together earlier and played one or two matches together. But playing for Team India and then him (helping in) taking my first wicket was a great feeling.”
Gill’s leadership was also highly praised by Brar.
“A good captain is one who backs his bowlers, and all the senior players and captains here back the bowlers a lot. That is a very good thing.”
Despite the attention his early efforts have garnered, Brar maintains that his focus is on the bigger picture.
“I don’t get satisfied. I am happy that I did well, but I want to do more for Team India. I want to keep doing better. I just keep doing my work.”
