Arun Lal has seen from close quarters the progress of Mukesh Kumar. He is delighted the seamer played a role in India’s recent victory against South Africa in the Cape Town Test.
“I was ecstatic, watching him bowl those fine spells,” Lal told The Hindu here on Thursday. “I am very glad for him; he is a team man, and you will never hear him complain.”
Lal, who coached the Bengal team while Mukesh was one of its key bowlers, said he was impressed with Mukesh from the time he first saw him. “He came up the hard way,” said the former India opener. “I had heard about him even before I met him. I was told that he would stand behind the nets in Kolkata and ask for a chance to bowl. From there to playing for India, it is really remarkable.”
Lal, who was in the city to take part in a session on Amrit Mathur’s book Pitchside at the Kerala Literature Festival, believes Mukesh should have been picked for India a couple of years ago. “He was this good even in 2020,” he said. “He has always been a captain and coach’s delight. He has had this ability to break a partnership, he would produce one ball that was virtually unplayable,” he said. “He has always been consistent, too. A team in Indian domestic cricket will be lucky to have a bowler like that.”
Lal is also happy for another Bengal seamer he has worked with — Mohammed Shami. “Shami is an exceptional talent, and he should have been played at the World Cup from the beginning,” he said.
While Lal is glad with the way domestic cricket is run in the country, he feels India-A’s matches should not clash with the Ranji Trophy. “We see that happening quite often,” he said. “Let the India-A matches be scheduled after the Ranji season.”
