'I proved my worth'

Suhrid Barua Pune Mirror May 12, 2008

Pune: There can be a propensity to feel unwanted when a player is part of the squad but not included in the playing XI. Warming the bench at times can create a negative impact on the player, but Yogesh Takawale hasn’t allowed any such thoughts creep into his mind.Forced to give the first five IPL matches a miss due to the presence of several accomplished, established names in their ranks, Takawale finally got his opportunity to parade his skills in the sixth game against the Delhi Dardevils, but failed to make an impression, but it was in the seventh game against Rajasthan Royals that he showcased his worth.

First up, he pouched two catches, one brilliantly taken to get rid of Ravindra Jadeja and later pitched in with a breezy 27 in a handy opening-stand of 41 with Sanath Jayasuriya, which smoothen their victory path to some extent. So then, does Takawale feel that he belongs to the whole set-up (part of the league) after his meaningful contribution against Rajasthan Royals. “We’ve a formidable outfit and that explains why I didn’t figure in the XI from the start of the tournament. We’ve three glovemen in the side (Luke Ronchi and Pinal Shah) and that makes my job of making the eleven even more tougher,” he says with any qualms.

On the preparation front, Takwale was lucky enough to have time to stay focused ahead of his IPL debut. “It was Sachin bhai who told me a day before the the Delhi Daredevils tie that I would be drafted in the XI. Actually that allowed me sufficent time to mentally prepare myself. I didn’t fire in that game but was fairly pleased with the way I chipped in with the bat as well behind the stumps.”Takawale dwelt on how the batting maestro advised him to treat the practice sessions like real match situations. “He (Sachin) told me to think of a practice session as a real match situation,” the swarthy batsman said. “I’ve been eagerly waiting for the opportunity to prove that I can perform at this level and I want to ensure I don’t let anybody down. I’d be only be happy if I’m able to contribute consistently in the coming matches.”

And how has been the experience of opening the innings with Sanath Jayasuriya. “Jayasuriya is a class act. In both the games, I’ve opened the innings with him, everytime I was struggling to middle the ball, he would walk upto me in between overs and tell me to collect a single and go off strike and let him play his natural game,” he added with a touch of satisfaction.