Farmhand's son Mahesh helping them practise with his Ashwin-like action
VADODARA: Australia's cricketers are pulling out all the stops ahead of the four-Test series against India starting February 9. As part of a ‘secret' training camp in Alur, the Aussies have flown in 21-year-old spinner and former tea seller, Mahesh Pithiya, a rare Ravichandran Ashwin ‘clone', to prepare for some spin-friendly surfaces during the series. And,of course, prepare for Ashwin's deadly off-breaks.
The 21-year-old Pithiya's story, just like his bowling action, is inspiring. The son of a farm labourer from Junagadh in Gujarat, a decade ago Pithiya was struggling to buy a good pair of bowling shoes. Why just shoes, the Baroda spinner often had to buy food with borrowed money. He even worked in a tea stall at one point, serving customers to make ends meet.
Luckily, the right-arm off-spinner's struggles appears to be in the past. For the past two days he has been staying in a plush Bengaluru hotel in the company of Australian cricketers who appear to be in awe of the fact that Pithiya appears to be a "duplicate" of Ashwin.
Interestingly, Pithiya didn't see the star India spinner in action till he was 11 years old, in 2013.
"Due to our financial condition, I didn't have a TV set at home. I first saw Ashwin in action live on TV at a paan stall in our town during the India-West Indies series," Pithiya told TOI from Bengaluru.
Pithiya was spotted during a Porbandar camp by a local coach, who suggested the rookie spinner shift to Vadodara for better cricketing opportunities. "I promptly took the decision and joined Motibaug Cricket Club in Vadodara in 2014," he said. Though he began playing official matches, the initial years weren't easy because of financial constraints.
The struggle was worth it, my parents are so happy: Pithiya
"I worked at a tea stall in the Fatehgunj area for more than a year. My club helped in getting new cricketing shoes and some others generously donated cricketing gear. Playing cricket during the day and working in the evening was tough, but the struggle was worth it. My parents are very happy," Mahesh Pithiya said.
Things started to turn around when he got into the under-19 team and started earning match fees. Pithiya's elder brother Dinesh, who shifted to Vadodara to support him, also started a small business. Pithiya recently made his Ranji debut and picked eight wickets from four matches.
"I consider myself lucky. Throwdown specialist Pritesh Joshi sent my video to the Aussies, who picked me up. I bowl like Ashwin sir. I bowled the most to Aussie skipper Steve Smith in the last two days. He kept saying that he liked my bowling style. I did learn a few tricks from Ashwin sir's bowling," Pithiya said.
Tushar Arothe, Baroda Ranji's assistant coach, said that Pithiya was very hard-working and never let his modest background or financial difficulties come in the way of his passion.
"That's the reason he (Pithiya) was picked up for the BCCI's emerging players' camp last y ear and in the Baroda Ranji team this season," he said. If Pithiya can make a good first impression, he might even get some tips from his idol Ashwin next.
1/10:Border-Gavaskar Trophy: All records
2/10:Most Runs: Sachin Tendulkar (India): 3262 runs
<p>Not surprisingly, Sachin Tendulkar still leads the charts here. Sachin was invincible against the mighty Aussies and would regularly smack the likes of Shane Warne, Brett Lee, Glenn McGrath, Jason Gillespie, and others all over the park. In 34 Tests vs Australia, Sachin scored 3262 runs at an average of 56.24 and struck 9 hundreds which is the most by any player in Border-Gavaskar Trophy.</p>
3/10:Ricky Ponting (Australia): 2555 runs
<p>One of the best captains and batsmen of all time, Ponting is the highest run scorer for Australia in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. 'Punter' was a regular nightmare for the Indian bowlers. His iconic pull shots were the highlights of his gameplay. In 29 Tests vs India, he scored 2555 runs at an average of 54.36 and had 8 hundreds under his belt.<br /></p>
4/10:VVS Laxman (India): 2434 runs
<p>When it comes to perfect stroke playing and elegance, Laxman was tailor-made for that job. He was a regular nemesis of the Aussies. The unforgettable knock at the Eden Gardens in 2001 of 281 in a partnership of 376 with Dravid, which led to India’s historic victory was played against the Aussies. In 29 Tests vs Aus, Laxman struck 2434 runs at an average of 49.67 and had 6 centuries.<br /></p>
5/10:Rahul Dravid (India): 2143 runs
<p>One of India’s most reliable batsmen, Rahul 'The Wall' Dravid was rock solid at the crease and played on for his team. His 180 in the partnership with Laxman in the 2001 Kolkata Test vs Australia was crucial. In 2008 he frustrated the Aussies with his solid defense, taking 40 balls to open his account. In 32 Tests vs Aus, Dravid scored 2143 runs at an average of 39.68 and had 2 hundreds.<br /></p>Getty Images
6/10:Michael Clarke (Australia): 2049 runs
<p>Clarke was a run-machine for the Aussies and was particularly prolific against India. One of his most iconic knocks was played in 2012 at Sydney when he struck a mammoth 329* vs India. He was one of the few Aussies who was adept at playing spin, especially on tough turning Indian tracks. In 22 Tests vs India, Clarke scored 2049 runs at an average of 53.92 and struck 7 hundreds.</p>Getty Images
7/10:Most wickets in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy
8/10:Anil Kumble (India): 111 wickets
<p>Kumble is regarded as one of the best spinners to have played the game. 'Jumbo' leads the charts of most wickets in the Border-Gavaskar Trophy. Against Australia, Kumble scalped 111 wickets in 20 matches which is the most by a bowler against the Aussies. His best bowling figures are 8/141. He also got 10-fifers.<br /></p>
9/10:Harbhajan Singh (India): 95 wickets
<p>Harbhajan Singh was one of the premier bowlers for Team India. He had a great on-field rivalry against the Aussies. Fans will never forget his hat trick against them in a historic test match at Eden Garden in 2001. He was the first Indian to claim a Test hat-trick. In 18 matches vs Aus, Bhajji took 95 wickets at an ER of 2.94. His best bowling figures were 8/84 and he got 7-fifers.<br /></p>
