Milind wants to make most of good form

Indeed it has been a sea change for the middle-order batsman who only about a week before his first class debut was playing in the U-22 CK Nayudu Trophy. An under-pressure knock of 98 against Mumbai there fast-tracked him into the senior squad.

“Of course there is a lot of difference between the U-22 level and the senior squad in the quality of the players and that results in a lot of mental pressure. In the age-group level,you can lose focus for a couple of deliveries and you may survive. But in the first class level,if you get distracted for even a fraction of a second,you know you will lose your wicket.”

There is also the additional pressure of trying to cement your place in a state that is brimming with talent. “With so many talented players who are all deserving of a place in the squad,there is a lot of healthy competition amongst the players. Additionally,there are plenty of players in the U-22 set up who are also performing. Everytime you get some runs,it allows you some breathing space.”

What helped him,he says,was the support of his seniors. “I have been lucky that the senior players are looking out for me. Mithun bhai was always ready to help me out before the match. During the match,Rajat bhai and I shared a good partnership. Whenever he thought that I was losing concentration,he would come over to me and tell me to think only of the next ball,” he says.

As such,the hundred gave him the confidence of belonging in the big league. And his immediate target is not to be complacent. His U-22 coach Amit Bhandari,spoke to him soon after his knock. “It’s a good start but now you need to carry on,” he told him. There was similar advice from amongst his team mates as well. “Mithun Manhas said to me not to be satisfied. He said players such as (Virender) Sehwag and (Gautam) Gambhir became as good because they would hit double centuries and triple centuries and then there is no reason for me to be satisfied after just scoring one,” says Milind.

“One can’t always score heavily. Every cricketer has a period when he is in excellent form and then a period when he loses touch. Now that I am in good form,I want to score as many runs as possible before any low phase begins,” he says.