When Rishabh Pant hobbled off the field with a fractured toe in Manchester, India’s selectors were forced to take a tough call. The last thing India wanted was to lose their best Test batter and vice-captain (for the 5th Test). However, now they had to find a replacement as a keeper option ahead of the final Test of the Anderson-Tendulkar Trophy.
First, it was reported that Ishan Kishan was the first-choice option, but due to the niggle he’s reportedly carrying, it opened up an opportunity for another deserving star. For N. Jagadeesan, the moment he’d been quietly preparing for had finally arrived.
On Thursday afternoon, he was just getting ready for a routine training session in Coimbatore when the phone rang. “I got a call from the selector, and he said: ‘You might get another call in one hour’s time. So just be ready.’ And after that, I just had a lot of jitters waiting for the call. It was a very happy moment,” Jagadeesan told The Times of India in a heartfelt interview.
Not Out of the “Blue”
While the news of his inclusion may have surprised many fans, Jagadeesan insists it didn’t feel like a bolt from the blue. “Maybe it’s out of the blue for a lot of people, but I’ve been part of the targeted players’ list for the past two to three years. I was with all the other targeted players at the NCA for the entire year… I knew I just had to put my head down, stay in the present, and work hard.”
The 29-year-old Tamil Nadu wicketkeeper has quietly built a solid red-ball resume. He has scored 3373 runs in 52 first-class matches at an average of 47.50, with 10 centuries and 14 fifties. In the most recent Ranji season, he was Tamil Nadu’s highest run-getter with 674 runs in eight matches at 56.16.
Jagadeesan also heaped praise on Rishabh Pant for his gritty half-century despite fracturing his toe. “No doubt he’s a superstar. The way he came back from the accident, it was really brave. It’s something that a lot of people probably would not have done,” he said, recalling how the two played together in the Duleep Trophy for India B.
Though he’s yet to learn what his role in the squad will be at The Oval, Jagadeesan feels mentally ready. A big part of that confidence comes from his mentor, former India batter Robin Uthappa, and a recent 27-day UK tour with the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA).
“I’m grateful to Robin for his help. Also the fact that TNCA took me to the UK for a 27-day tour, which was a major boost. It was a very good learning experience because that was the first time I went outside Asia. Adapting to weather conditions was a big learning curve,” he said.
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