Jalaj Saxena: The perfect picture of patience and perseverance
A few days ago, a couple of Indians etched their names into the country’s cricketing folklore. Firstly, Jaspirt Bumrah, arguably the world’s premier fast bowler bagged another five-wicket haul in a new continent, thereby indicating his unparalleled excellence.
A thousand miles East though, in Alur, Karnataka, Jalaj Saxena, an individual who’s been the epitome of concentration over the years in domestic cricket, was busy scripting his own chapter in India’s rather expansive book of achievements in First-Class cricket.
The fall of Varun Aaron’s wicket on the final ball of the 122nd over in the encounter between India Red and India Blue in the Duleep Trophy not only signified the end of the pacer’s innings, it also marked a momentous occasion for Jalaj, who after years of hard work, had carved out an exceptional niche for himself. The all-rounder had achieved the distinction of having amassed 6000 runs in First-Class cricket while also scalping 300 wickets.
To put things into further perspective, he became the 19th Indian to achieve the feat, following the footsteps of the legendary CK Nayudu, Kapil Dev, Lala Amarnath, Polly Umrigar, Vijay Hazare, Vinoo Mankad and the current India coach, Ravi Shastri.
In an exclusive chat with Sportskeeda, Jalaj elaborated on how elated he felt after finding out that he had scaled such a peak. He quipped, “I felt very honoured and proud to find myself in that list alongside the likes of Kapil Dev, Lala Amarnath, Polly Umrigar and Vijay Hazare. I felt very happy knowing that I’m the only domestic cricketer to have completed that achievement.”
And, while that last sentence certainly made his accomplishment special, one reckons things could’ve been so different had the rub of the green, in terms of selection, gone his way.
Yet, Jalaj keeps himself completely isolated from things that are outside his control, opining that one should always strive to achieve excellence in facets which can be influenced by oneself, in the process not worrying about uncontrollable details.
Jalaj also said that his family has always helped imbibe that particular attitude with his brother and father playing a paramount role. With the all-rounder’s brother being a cricketer and his father a swimmer, Jalaj was always encouraged to focus on the process and the said approach has paid rich dividends, which recently culminated with him breaching a seemingly daunting barrier.
Over the years, the off-spinner has distinguished himself with the willow as well as with the ball. In red-ball cricket, he boasts of a batting average of 37.30 while his bowling average of 28.19 is just as impressive, if not more.
Inevitably, in the years gone by, he has gotten tired of people asking him whether he is a batting all-rounder or a bowling all-rounder. However, he quashes those questions by explaining his simple mantra, saying, “I’m a batsman when I bat and a bowler when I bowl.”
Unfortunately, though, his superlative performances haven’t landed him the lucrative IPL contracts that have been warranted. Yet, things could traverse on an upward curve, especially after the Delhi Capitals signed him up for the 2019 season.
The lad from Madhya Pradesh said that the experience of picking the brains of Ricky Ponting and Sourav Ganguly was an incredible feeling and one that he is motivated to taste more of.
He also remarked upon a beautiful incident from his time at the Delhi-based franchise where Ganguly came up to Jalaj and told the latter that he absolutely loved an innings the all-rounder played for Kerala at Eden Gardens on a tricky pitch in 2018 against a Bengal side that comprised Indian pacer, Mohammed Shami.
The game in question only beefed up the belief of the right-handed batsman being a clutch player and one accustomed to coming up trumps when the chips are down. The propensity to be the beacon for a side preparing to propel itself into the upper trenches eventually prompted him to move to Kerala in 2016.
On being questioned about the decision, he replied, “When I moved to Kerala, they were playing in the Plate division and I wanted to help them make it to the Elite circuit. I felt that if I performed well for Kerala, my performances would be recognised more, considering that they were earlier in the Plate division.”
He also said that he has now become comfortable in his new surroundings and is enjoying the environment the state is providing for him to maximise whatever opportunities are coming his way, especially after guiding Kerala to the semi-finals of the Ranji Trophy last season.
However, the all-rounder hardly wants to rest on his recent laurels and said that he had already chalked out his plans for the upcoming season. On being quizzed about what certain aspects he wanted to focus on, Jalaj replied, “I am trying to improve both my batting and my bowling. I am also focussing on improving my variations with the ball so that I can become more of a force in white-ball cricket.”
Throughout his career, Jalaj has always assumed the role of an efficient cricketer, prioritising an end product over the extravagance that usually garners many more eyeballs across the globe.
Though the debate of whether raw numbers triumph over the perceived X-Factor is better left for another day, the all-rounder has patiently been doing his bit since making his bow for Madhya Pradesh more than a decade ago.
Consequently, he has evolved into a tenacious and trustworthy cricketer, capable of withstanding pressure even when it might’ve been easier to wilt.
Though the all-rounder not donning the national colours might paint an extremely luckless picture, Jalaj being Jalaj would remain as unflustered as ever.
After all, not many are able to appreciate the ‘process’, persevere incessantly and prosper without worrying about the ‘uncontrollable’. And, one reckons that that particular triumph is what would set him apart, even as the ravages of time take over.
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