Ahead of Team India`s second Test match against England, spinner Harpreet Brar was seen bowling during the visitors` net session. He also stated that a text message from skipper Shubman Gill got him to bowl in Birmingham.
Speaking about the message, Brar said, “I was talking to Shubman yesterday and he sent me a text. I thought, let`s go and practice there (in Birmingham). It’s a different feeling, it feels like we have come together as a family”.
“I met my friends on foreign soil. My wife is from Swindon. It`s quite close, a one and a half hour drive from Birmingham,” he added.
Along with Brar, Team India`s net session also had the likes of Chandigarh pacer Jagjit Singh Sandhu. He said that all Indian players were surprised after looking at him.
“It didn`t feel like I hadn`t spoken to them for a long time. They were all like, oh? They were all surprised. I play first class cricket for Chandigarh. Then I got to know of this and came here to bowl in the nets session of the Indian team,” said Jagjit.
Jagjit is familiar with a alot of faces in the Indian team as he has earlier played age-group cricket with other players.
“So Rishabh Pant and I played together in the U19 zone one-day competition. Shubman Gill was in first season in the U19 zone, while it was my last season in that age-group,” said the pacer.
Further speaking, he also said that left-arm pacer Arsdeep Singh is his junior and has also played U19 cricket tournaments with Washington Sundar.
“I played with Akash Deep in the Duleep Trophy. I played with Washington Sundar in the U19 zone. He was in the South Zone and I was in the North Zone. Arshdeep is my junior. When I was in the U19 zone, he was in the U16 zone,” he added.
“When Arshdeep was in U16, I used to tell him how to bowl and take a run up. He still asks me which ball is better and how should I bowl to a batter and get swing. I feel very proud when I see Arshdeep doing what he is doing now,” said the 28-year-old pacer.
India will kick off their second Test match against England at the Edgbaston Cricket Ground in Birmingham on July 2.
(With IANS Inputs)