Net bowler Ritesh Keshri seeking big breakthrough

RANCHI: In the lead-up to the Ranchi Test, as Joe Root was working on his game in the nets with spin bowling consultant Jeetan Patel, among a couple of local spinners bowling to him was 21-year-old off-spinner Ritesh Keshri. Root was constantly trying to use his feet, sweep and step against the spinners, and Keshri was one of the few to trouble him a bit.

A day after the Test got over, Keshri was at the Sonnet Cricket Club, training under Ashif Haque Ansari. It is the club where Robin Minz, the latest IPL generation from Jharkhand, honed his skills over the years. Ask Keshri about the experience of bowling to Root in the nets, his eyes lit up. “His defence against spin is really good, he can sweep and step out as well, and I got him out once or twice. I learnt a lot from bowling to Root, Washington Sundar, and bowling alongside R Ashwin,” he says. It was not the first time Keshri had bowled to Root. In fact, he was a part of the net bowling group during the ODI World Cup and has bowled to England, Sri Lanka, Indian teams at the time.

Hailing from Ranchi, the youngster was inspired by the 2007 T20 World Cup triumph. Keshri’s parents, who run a vegetable shop, admitted him in the RC academy, but soon he had to stop because they were unable to afford the fee. What has aided Keshri in keeping the fight alive is the help from people in the fraternity.