litmus test awaits jiwanjot

[rkt.india]

He may have been an unknown face till a couple of months ago. But after 916 runs and five centuries in his debut Ranji season so far, Jeewanjot Singh is already knocking on the doors of Indian cricket. The 22-year old will play a pivotal role for Punjab when they face Saurashtra in the Ranji semifinal that is starting today. In a chat with Sportline, Patiala lad Jiwanjot talks about his mindset and the mood of the Punjab camp before the semis, how Harbhajan Singh and Yuvraj Singh helped him gain in confidence in him, and also how difficult will it be to take on Saurashtra on their home ground in the semifinals. Excerpts: Having scored over 900 runs in the Ranji Trophy this season and helping Punjab reach the last four stage, what is your mindset ahead of the semifinal match against Saurashtra? There is no doubt that we have reached a crucial stage in the Ranji Trophy. In order to get to this stage, we had to play nine matches and perform well consistently. But frankly, my mindset is the same as it was before any previous Ranji matches. I am focused and looking to perform well for the team. Like before, I would like to play long innings and help the team post a big total. How do you rate Saurashtra as a side? What, according to you, will be Saurashtra's strong points that the Punjab team need to counter to reach the final? Saurashtra will, of course, have the home advantage of playing in Rajkot. I have not seen the pitch yet, but the Saurashtra players will surely have better judgment of the conditions and the way the track will behave. Our batsmen should aim for a big total in the first innings and the bowlers should set their eyes on early breakthroughs. We had beaten them outrightly in the league stage, and maybe we have an upper hand over them psychologically. How do you rate Saurashtra as opposition as you must have accessed their players while playing against them and beating them in the league stage? Saurashtra is a strong team. The fact that Cheteshwar Pujara and Ravindra Jadeja won't be available for the match will go in our favour. But they have effective bowlers like Siddharth Trivedi and Jaidev Unadkat. We need to be cautious against them. But then even Yuvraj Singh won't be there for us. I think the competition will be even. It is the first Ranji season of your career. When the season started did it ever occur that Punjab would reach the final four stage and you would have played a big part in this? I was not thinking that far when I started opening for Punjab in Ranji Trophy. I just wanted to score heavily in every game. It feels nice when you have contributed for your team's success. I wish I play well and the semifinal match also turns out good for me as well as for the team. Punjab played four matches at the home ground in seamer friendly conditions. If you compare these four matches to the games that followed afterwards, which stage was more difficult? I believe playing at the PCA Stadium in Mohali in the initial part of the competition was quite demanding and difficult. It required focus and correct application. The conditions were also quite different from the away matches. The fast bowlers were extracting pace, movement and bounce. What role has Harbhajan Singh played in your rich form and the confidence level throughout the season? You also played alongside Yuvraj Singh in one of the matches, how was the experience? Bhajji paaji has been very supporting and motivating. He has been a guiding force behind me. He has always pushed me to play my natural game and aim for big scores. Players in the team respect Bhajji paaji a lot, he brings a positive energy with him. I got a chance to play along side Yuvraj Singh in a match. He is a star, an inspiration and a role model. The confidence level is expected to get a boost when such established players guide you. What is the mood in the Punjab camp right now? Do you feel any pressure at this stage? The mood in the camp is very relaxed. I guess everyone is taking the semifinal match as another Ranji game and aiming to win it. I was never under any pressure during the previous matches and I am not taking any pressure at this point also. I am just looking to deliver the goods for the team. According to you what clicked for Punjab this season? If Punjab makes to the final, how different will be the team's approach to win the title? Punjab has a perfect balance of youth and experience. Bowlers like Sandeep Sharma, Siddharth Kaul and Manpreet Gony did well for us and Uday Kaul, Taruwar Kohli and Karan Goel also chipped in. Also, Bhajji paaji has extracted good performances from different players.

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/litmus-test-awaits-jiwanjot/1059791/3