When Mihir Hirwani picked up his maiden five-wicket haul (5/60) in just the third first-class match of his career, he wanted to dedicate his effort to his childhood coach. Luckily for him, the man who taught him the art of leg spin was present at the Moti Baugh Stadium, where Madhya Pradesh registered their first outright victory this season against Baroda. The man watching closely from the sidelines not only happened to be Mihirās coach, but is also his father. āI am really happy that my performance has helped the team. I am proud of my effort and my father was present throughout which made it even more special,ā Mihir told bcci.tv
The youngster said it was early in his career that his father gave him an important lesson. āHe told me cricket is a team game and I must always look to help my team win. Individual milestones come later. Yes, I picked up my maiden five-for, but we still conceded the first innings lead. What makes me happy is my contribution of four wickets in the second innings that helped the team win.ā
Having conceded the first innings lead of 27 runs, Madhya Pradesh bounced back strongly to dismiss Baroda for 174 in 48.4 overs while defending 261 runs. Along with Mihir, Punit Datey picked up four wickets. As a result, Madhya Pradesh who were at the bottom of the chart are now fifth in the table.
Asked if leg spin was his obvious choice, the 21-year-old said, āI enjoy bowling leg spin. It is in my blood. It came naturally to me. Nobody forced me.ā
While the two work on leg spin on the side pitches at Indoreās Holkar Stadium, at home too, the topic barely changes. āAbout 95 per cent of our conversations revolve cricket. He is the encyclopaedia on spin bowling.ā
During his playing days, Narendra Hirwani had an uncomplicated training routine. Work on your body in the off season, bowl about 100 overs daily in the pre-season, build muscle memory and get ready for the season. Young Mihir too is following the same. āWhen you are starting young, you need quantity. You cannot produce quality without quantity. Your body needs to know what will be expected. The more you bowl, more muscle memory is created,ā said the former India spinner.
Asked what advised he had for Mihir, the battle-hardened coach revealed, āI can teach him everything about spin bowling from his wrist position to release. But self-confidence is something that you cannot buy in the market. Mihir has to believe in himself. Once a bowler has self confidence, he will be able to tackle difficult situations.ā
The former national selector said Mihir will soon need to learn to play under pressure. āYes, he will be compared with me. It is something inevitable. But let me tell you he is much taller than me and is also quicker through the air.
āI have told him, when you are bowling forget everything and concentrate on the job. Keep working hard. Donāt be satisfied. You can learn from failure as well as success. The only way up is by improving.ā
