Navdeep Saini made his Test debut on India’s successful tour of Australia, where the visitors beat the home side 2-1 in four-match Test series. He was one of the new faces that made up the Indian bowling attack in Gabba, Brisbane, as India battled injuries to their players.
He suffered a groin injury during the first innings of fourth Test in Brisbane and that limited his ability to bowl. Though he bowled 5 overs in second innings despite his injury, Saini’s biggest test came when he came out to join Rishabh Pant as India was in touching distance of chasing down 328-run target.
"It was the first time that I was batting alongside Rishabh. It was so much fun. I knew he will take India to the win. When I went to the crease, I looked at Rishabh and asked 'kya karna hai'? (What do I have to do?).
Rishabh said 'kuch nahi karna, bass tej bhagna, jab bolunga, risky run mat lena (Just run when I say and don't take a risky run). He (Pant) went back to his crease and then came back again and told me 'don't worry, mai dekh lunga' (Don't worry, I will handle it'," Saini told Timesofindia.com.
"When he (Pant) hit the winning runs, he shouted 'run'. I knew he had asked me to run as fast as possible. I didn't look at where the ball had gone and started running. When he stopped to celebrate, then I realised we had won (laughs). I knew he was going to hammer the bowler," Saini added.
Saini praised Pant, who remained not out on 89 in the chase and was named the Man of the Match as well, for his mental strength. He also revealed what coach Ravi Shastri and stand-in captain Ajinkya Rahane told him.
“Ravi sir told us all to prepare, saying 'your turn can come at any time'. We were all prepared to take on responsibilities. Ravi sir spoke to me ahead of the Brisbane Test and gave me confidence and said 'don't experiment, just bowl the way you have been bowling. Just be mentally strong. You are the best',” Saini said.
As for Ajinkya’s words, Saini recalled, “Ajinkya bhaiya came to me and said 'jaisa domestic mein daalta hai, jaisa nets mein daalta hai waise hi karna.' (Don't experiment or change anything. Bowl the way you've been bowling in domestic cricket and in the nets).”
When asked to compare the captaincy styles of Rahane and Kohli, Saini pointed out that both Rahane and Kohli are good decision-makers.
"I have played under Virat bhaiya for India and RCB as well. Now I have played under Ajinkya bhaiya. I have enjoyed a lot playing under both the captains. The best part about them is that they are both really good decision-makers. They take decisions on the spot and those work for the team," he said.
He further spoke about the influence of Jasprit Bumrah and how the young pace brigade planned for Australian batsmen in the Gabba Test.
"When I was playing the Brisbane Test, Jassi (Bumrah) used to come during the drinks breaks and give some tips. Ravi sir also supported me a lot. During the match, Shardul, Siraj, Natarajan, and I were discussing the plans and the best part was that we were on the same page.
We were backing each other. I have played a decent amount of domestic cricket and that experience also worked for me. I just kept things simple, stuck to my basics, and worked on my strengths," the 28 year old from Karnal said.
