Interestingly, from the time that a cricketer gets a T-shirt with ‘India A’ printed on it, etched in mind is a dream of knocking off the suffix. But there’s no magic detergent to instantly rub it off. The journey is tough, and waiting on the threshold of the national team is a precarious, cliff-hanging experience.

There are many who tipped over and got lost in obscurity but there are also those who have stuck around to make the jump. It’s this mixed emotion of apprehension and excitement that defines the confused mindset of that intriguing specimen called the India A cricketer.
Several such fringe cricketers are in the middle of a series these days against the visiting Australians. With the aging national team expected to see a transition any time soon, the focus is on this bunch of men with dreamy eyes.

The pressure on them is understandable and that’s the reason Mohammad Kaif, even after being the highest scorer in the opening game against Australia A in Bangalore, avoids the media these days. He’s been around for long to know that one wrong step or stray comment might go against him in the longer run. “I have a band-aid on my lips. I will let my bat do the talking,” he says politely.

There are others willing to speak but their statements are guarded and the anxiety in their tone is tough to ignore. To understand the mood in the dressing room where most men are on the edge, one speaks to former India A coach Lalchand Rajput. “Yes the nervousness is certainly there, but there is also a lot of excitement. That is where the maturity and attitude of a cricketer can be gauged. It is how one deals with these situations and it is his attitude that eventually decides who makes it to the next level and who gets left behind,” he says.

Over the years, many cricketers have passed through this stage and they speak about how maintaining a positive attitude is a tall ask during this ‘so-close-yet-so-far’ phase. Ambati Rayudu got the India A break when he was 17 and, considering his rapid rise from the ranks, he thought making the senior team was an eventuality waiting to happen. Soon, the harsh reality about the packed Indian middle-order dawned on him. “There were no vacancies in the senior team. Even someone like VVS Laxman had been left out of the World Cup squad. That is the time when it can get a little frustrating. I’ve been with the India A squad on six occasions and each time that frustration has only increased. With every tour I hope things might turn for the better, but it doesn’t happen,” he says. Such was his state of mind that Rayudu joined the rebel Indian Cricket League (ICL) and that meant saying a final goodbye to the dreams of wearing an India cap.

The ICL has a few batsmen like Rayudu, who spent years waiting in the wings watching Indian cricket’s Fab Four perform. Maharashtra batsman Dheeraj Jadhav, who was an India A regular after several highly successful domestic seasons, narrates the plight of a cricketer who spent most of his prime staring at a closed door. “The most difficult part is to start a new domestic season after you have done well at the India A level and not made it to the national team. Motivation is a problem. Besides, you also get to hear a number of things on the A circuit — someone says you are certain India material and someone else will talk about the politics in selection. It’s all very confusing,” he says.

A noticeable aspect of India A games is the intra-squad contest between players which, at times, is more intense than the collective battle of the two teams on the field. With the selectors keeping a close watch, a rare vacancy in the national team means focus on several contenders playing on the same side. A tense dressing room and differences between players are a common fallout.

Though officials accompanying the team deny it, players admit to such a scenario. “Bring me one cricketer who says he’s just playing for the love of the game and the team but doesn’t yearn to wear the India colours. Every cricketer plays with that single aim of making it to the top level,” says Jadhav.

Former India A player Kanwaljit Singh doesn’t deny that team spirit goes on the backburner at times during A games. “For starters, an India A slot can be highly competitive. It definitely involves team effort and also a matter of pride. But, let’s be frank, it’s also about individual competition. I wouldn’t say it led to any bad vibes in the dressing room when I was a part of the team, but every single player is counting on his own performance to make the most of the opportunity,” he says.

Former India player Venugopal Rao got his chance by consistently performing when he played for India A. “Every cricketer understands what a good performance at the A level can bring him. I got catapulted into national reckoning because of my India A scores,” he says.

The more recent example is of Parthiv Patel, who made a Test comeback about a month back. “An India A opportunity is a lot more than proving yourself in the domestic circuit. A couple of good matches and you’re right up there,” he says.
With Patel in the A squad who are busy with the series against Australia A, optimism will be there. It will be a big motivation for the excited but edgy bunch keen to drop the A from their T-shirts.

I was touching 40, but I thought I had a chance
Kanwaljit Singh become a certified second-stringer at the age of 40, when he was picked for the India A squad. Despite being in the twilight of his career, the veteran off-spinner had enough motivation to think big

WHEN I finally managed to be a part of the India A team, I was touching 40. But still, like everybody in the A team, I felt that I had a chance to make it to the next level — the Indian team. I was bowling better than ever and an off-spinner is always welcome in any side. Before getting this much anticipated break, I had taken more than 100 wickets at the first-class level. And that’s the reason my expectations were high.
But I will admit that when I looked around and saw my team mates, I could understand that everybody had aspirations. India A is a huge platform for cricketers who’ve done well on the domestic circuit and are looking to take the big leap. For some, it’s an experience that keeps getting richer with each game, each performance, until they get the India cap. For others, it’s the only level from where a comeback trail begins. In short, as much as playing for the India A team can be satisfying, it can also get equally frustrating.
For starters, an India A slot can be highly competitive. It definitely involves team effort and is also a matter of pride since one is representing the country. But let’s be frank, it’s also about individual competition. I wouldn’t say it led to any bad vibes in the dressing room when I was part of it, but every single player is counting on his own performance to make the most of the opportunity available. If someone gets the big break after such a tour then it turns out to be highly memorable, otherwise you’re just left behind like scores of others who make it to the India A level and remain there. To tell you the truth, I haven’t even kept the India A shirt I used to have. I do still have my Ranji cap though.