On-high Harmeet hungry for more

Hyderabad
Oct. 8: Harmeet Singh is a special cricketer. The Deccan Chargers have never lost a game whenever this tall mediumpacer was in the playing XI, statistic that may have prompted captain Adam Gilchrist to recall him for the semifinal and the final of IPL-2.
The Punjab youngster who celebrates his 22nd birthday today is a keen learner of the game and is yearning to continue the winning streak in the upcoming Champions League Twenty20 tournament. “IPL-2 is a superb chapter in my career. I want to carry that form into the Champions League,” Harmeet told this newspaper.
Harmeet began IPL-2 with a bang, getting Sourav Ganguly out with his second delivery (first to the former Indian captain) in Chargers’ opening match against the Kolkata Knight Riders. “It put a spring in my step. I’ve been watching Ganguly on television ever since I was a kid and to have him as my first victim was thrilling,” he says.
Harmeet subsequently faced tough time but the big names came to his rescue. “Playing alongside Gilchrist, Symonds, Laxman bhai, Rohit (Sharma), R.P (Singh) in IPL-2 has given me a lot of experience. I’ve learnt quite a bit about handling pressure in big match situations,” Harmeet says.
“The special thing about Gilchrist and Lehmann is that they never let you get bogged down. They are adept at taking the pressure off the players and keeping them at ease. That helps a lot,” he continued.
On the bowling front, “R.P has taught me so much. The way he bowls is brilliant — he got 22 wickets in IPL-2 to win the Purple Cap. It’s not easy to get those wickets in a T20 game. Also, Chaminda Vaas is very friendly and helpful. They always keep telling me a few finer points of fast bowling.”
Harmeet admits life can be difficult for quick bowlers in a T20 match as the batsmen try to go after them every ball. “But, fast bowling is all about handling pressure and using the variations according to the situations. You’ve got to have tremendous control if you are to succeed,” he says.
Ever the workhorse, Harmeet is always thinking on his feet. “I plan every ball I send down in an attempt to sort out the batsmen,” he says.
The best results are often achieved by sticking to the basics. “Line and length is my strength. I find it easy to frustrate the batsmen by keeping the ball in a disciplined range,” Harmeet says.
However, “speed, and a few variations like slipping in the slower deliveries as well as the yorkers to catch batsmen on the wrong foot,” are some of the weapons Harmeet wants to add to his armoury.
And he is in a hurry.
Source::DC