On the stage of dreams, Colts leave us wanting for more

I was a 23-year-old then, with boxful of ambitions and out to make the world my oyster. I could dream, I could conquer and could become whatever I want. Eyes twinkled and I took the plane to Bengaluru to join the organisation for which I am writing now. It is a journey of rosy-eyed fantasy that came true; surely a facet of adult life any cricketer would be able to relate. It is, after all, a journey of throny narrative, culminating with the singular ambition of taking the national cricket team’s flag onward and upward.

Australia’s Jake Fraser-McGurk seemed like a talent cut from different cloth as was India’s Yasashvi Jaiswal, who through his flawless technique and ability to negotiate with different situations became the stand-out player of the tournament. South Africa’s left-handed Bryce Parsons was the perfect Quinny prototype - head strong, elegant feet movement, with the body falling over the line of the shot to hit those cross-batted strokes with elan. A close look at India’s Priyam Garg tells you the reason why Uttar Pradesh has been a fine feeder system to the Indian youth team - a channel of streamed talent, organised and focussed, ready to make the big jump. 

While the number of talents coming through the system has gone through the roof, even with a big buffer line of franchise and A cricket in place, the talents who are destined to play for the country someday don't just fritter away like that. Take Fraser-McGurk for example. The Victorian, who has been a regular in the state side now, didn’t have a great tournament but his stance made him stand out. The disdainful attitude to the length by organising himself in the last moment ensured a finer crafty batsman at work, who was equally good on front-foot as he was on backfoot. A look at him would tell you, Ian Bishop would attest, that this is a talent that needs to be given the highest order or preference and attention. 

The less we talk about Jaiswal is better because we are going to hear a lot of him in the years to come. It was the show of maturity by a boy who could go on front foot to ramp a left-arm pacer for a six and then play out a 100-ball 60 in the next game because the team needs a strong head at that point in time. That’s fine, many can still do it. But tell me, how a U19 boy would control the trajectory till the last second and bowl the drifter and googly with so much of control which would put even some of the greats of the game to shame? Ravi Bishnoi’s bowling was sheer brilliance in action and we should be thankful for witnessing these guys at full flow even before they make the big jump. 

That said, it is easy to get carried away by seeing the burst of talents at the U-19 stage for we know Unmukt Chand and William Bossisto’s career turning south after leading their respective sides to the 2012 U-19 final, but cynicism is probably the worst thing to carry at the times of depression and drugs. We can be excited, hope for a brighter future and wish the bunch of youngsters, who made us entertain in the last few weeks, to go on and write history.