Rohan Chowdhury, Oval
As Team India prepared for the crucial final Test of the England series at The Kia Oval, local net bowler Rishabh Upadhyay from Chelmsford Cricket Club had the enriching opportunity to bowl to some of India’s biggest stars during a practice session at the iconic ground.
Representing Chelmsford, in the Essex League, Rishabh found himself bowling to none other than Yashasvi Jaiswal and skipper Shubman Gill.
“It was an amazing experience,” said Rishabh. “Always great to be up close to such legends, to see how they operate, and to get a chance to interact with them. I really enjoyed it.”
Bowling to Jaiswal
Rishabh spent a good part of the session bowling to Jaiswal, who has shown flashes of brilliance this series but has struggled with consistency at times.
“It was surreal to bowl to him. His career has been amazing so far, and he looked really solid in the nets,” Rishabh observed. “Anything on his legs was gone—flicked effortlessly—and the short balls were almost into the stands (if not in the nets),” he described Jaiswal’s strengths at the nets on the matchday eve.
However, when asked whether he managed to trouble Jaiswal, Rishabh modestly replied:
“I think just sticking to a normal Test-match length occasionally made him play and miss, but that’s quite general.”
With the series on the line, India will hope Jaiswal translates his net form into a big innings at the Oval.
Testing the Skipper
Rishabh also bowled to Indian captain Gill, who has looked composed throughout the tour.
“It was amazing to bowl to Gill. He was very solid—anything pitched up was driven nicely, and anything at hip height was confidently blocked.” Rishabh admitted, “I can’t really say I got the better of him at any point. He was on top of most deliveries.”
The Net Conditions
Speaking about the conditions at the Oval nets, Rishabh said:
“The pitches started off well, but with the amount of cricket and bowling done on them, they’ve deteriorated a bit. Still, full credit to the groundsmen for keeping them in great shape.” However, the pitch for the final Test perhaps will have more grass than the rest of the decks in this series.
While there were no specific instructions from the Indian team management, Rishabh shared that he and other net bowlers were largely allowed to bowl as they saw fit.
“We didn’t interact much with the management—they mostly just watched us bowl.”
Not His First Time
This isn’t Rishabh’s first brush with the Indian team.
“I’ve bowled to them before, about a year ago, but this is the first time during this series.”
As India gears up for what could be a series-deciding Test at the Oval, the behind-the-scenes efforts of bowlers like Rishabh quietly contribute to sharpening the edge of international stars.
The final Test between India and England begins Thursday, at The Kia Oval, in London.
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