In the 18th over of the Under-19 World Cup semi-final played between India and South Africa in Benoni, Uday Saharan cracked a courageous upper-cut as the ball rocketed to the third man boundary. For the next 32 deliveries, it turned out to be Saharan’s only boundary. With Sachin Dhas, his batting partner, essaying a string of sparkling shots, he was ready to play second fiddle.
That Saharan soaked pressure of facing up to a buoyant pace attack with his side in trouble, was testament to his sound temperament. Just reading through the above description, a casual cricket fan might conjure up a picture of an old-school batter who goes about his business of defending almost every single ball. But there was more to his batting than just stonewalling the rival strike bowlers.
When Kwena Mapahaka and Tristan Luus were taken off the attack, Saharan pressed the accelerator pedal against the likes of Nqobani Mokoena, Steve Stolk and Juan James. On that given day, Saharan just didn’t want to leave the door ajar for the opposition to sneak in. Now, that is a sign of a batter who shows maturity beyond his years.
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The narrative surrounding Saharan’s innings wasn’t just about his temperament and technique, as he displayed a fair amount of skill, too. The track offered spongy bounce and a little bit of seam movement. So, when Saharan rode on the bounce and crunched a few shots square of the wicket, it gave an inkling that he could adapt to alien climes.
The manner in which he stood tall and employed the cut stroke while facing Mokoena in the 41st even brought out a loud cry of “shot yaar” from Dhas. Saharan also showcased some leadership qualities as he seemed to be constantly guiding his batting partners, Aravelly Avanish and Raj Limbani.
Saharan’s method of collecting runs also transported you back to a bygone era – January 1998. After a gap of around 10 years, the ICC had decided to restart the Under-19 World Cup. Around that time, this writer was laid low by a wrist fracture, mostly confined to the four walls of a room. So, following the Indian Under-19 team taking on the rest of the cricketing world via highlights was one of the few ways to pass time.
Mohd Kaif, one of the young guns in that side, had already won some plaudits for his mettlesome performance in the Under-15 Lombard Challenge held in England in 1996. While watching Kaif bat in the Super League game against arch-rivals Pakistan Under-19 in Durban, it just felt as if he had the ability to absorb pressure. The middle-order batter took his guard with his team in dire straits at 38 for 4. Slowly but steadily he took India out of the woods, with his side eventually winning by five wickets.
A few years later, Kaif also led India-19 to their maiden World Cup triumph and went on to have a reasonably successful ODI career at the highest level. As the eyes zoomed in on Saharan, one couldn’t help but recall Kaif’s batting style and how he went about chasing down targets in the 50-over format. Who know, perhaps Saharan might go on to achieve bigger things than Kaif.
Saharan has tried to imbibe his father’s qualities. In fact, Saharan’s father, Sanjeev, himself was said to be a fine cricketer at the junior level. “My dad used to play big shots and used to take the game deep. I just think of taking the game deep. I will hit a big shot in the end only if needed and till the time I am standing, the game will be ours,” he said in the post-match presentation ceremony.
India still have to pass the final hurdle in the Under-19 World Cup, where they will lock horns against Australia. At 19, Saharan the dreamer, would be hoping to write down his own destiny with the willow and lead the side to World Cup glory.
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— Boria Majumdar (@BoriaMajumdar) February 9, 2024