With a World Cup spot in sight, Ambati Rayudu's 12-year wait might finally be coming to fruition
“It’s special, it’s been a long wait,” said Ambati Rayudu, after scoring his first ever international century against Sri Lanka in the second of five ODIs yesterday.
Yes, indeed! It has been a pursuit. Was it a pursuit for recognition? Success? Or was it a mere sense of belonging at the big stage? While batting on 99, he flicked the ball to square leg, many expected a quick run to the other end, a big leap in the air and an aggressive display of emotions. Well, much to the amazement of everyone, he jogged towards the non-striker’s end to complete his 100th run and the helmet grill couldn’t hide the only visible display of emotion, a smile, one of extreme satisfaction and contentment. It was almost as if a toddler had finally got his share of the cake that he was craving for. He reminded millions of their childhood dream, but his journey has by no means been easy, with his recent recognition being a long time in the making.
Walking out to bat in the 7th over after Ajinkya Rahane’s dismissal wasn’t the usual suspect in Virat Kohli but Rayudu, instead, and it was the perfect platform for him. What followed was a crafty knock of 121* off 118 balls, with 10 boundaries and 4 mighty sixes, as he guided India to a comfortable 6-wicket victory. In the post-match presentation afterwards, Kohli was kind enough to say, “he deserved this opportunity 12 years back”. Rayudu would concur.
The ambiguous twists and turns in his professional career, be it captaining the Indian under-19 side, being hailed as the next big thing in Indian cricket, having a forgettable stint in the much-tainted Indian Cricket League (ICL) followed by a ban and subsequent downfall, didn’t seem to have an end.
In the 12 years since Rayudu’s 177 against England U-19s, which rose him to prominence, few cricketers have made history, many have hung their boots, the team-mates he captained, Suresh Raina and Shikhar Dhawan being a couple, have gone on to have successful international careers. Rayudu, meanwhile, continued being ignored.
But a revival was in the pipeline. After cancelling his ICL contract, the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) uplifted his ban, and he was finally back in the domestic circuit, doing what he does best – performing consistently. The IPL franchise Mumbai Indians (MI), then, provided him not just an IPL contract but also a much-needed impetus to his cricketing career. Since then, it has been 5 seasons and Rayudu still remains a proud possession of the Mumbai franchise.
The 29-year old’s displays for MI led to growing calls for his inclusion in the Indian team, with Harbhajan Singh notably stating that he was ready for international cricket. Yes, the Indian call was round the corner, but he still had to wait. Although there was inspiration for Rayudu in the form of Mike Hussey and Matthew Hayden, who hit their peak in the latter part of their career, it would have to be said that opportunities so late are not too common in Indian cricket.
I believe the long wait is now finally over. Yes, he still needs to cement his place in the final XI, with Rohit Sharma still possibly ahead in the pecking order, but with less than 100 days to go for the 2015 ICC World Cup, he is at least doing all he can by knocking hard on the selectors’ door. Whatever the outcome may be, he has set a benchmark for himself, and nobody can take that away from him. Maybe, that is how his story was scripted. The beard had to grow.