Dhaka: Young paceman Avishkar Salvi has done the first thing right and is now keen to cement his place in the team by picking more wickets and not bothering much about the fact that he may have to make way for seniors once they return.

The 21-year-old paceman made an impressive debut against Bangladesh in the opening match of the TVS Cup triangular series on Friday following a surprise gesture from captain Saurav Ganguly who gave him the honour of opening the bowling attack.

The frail-looking speedster responded to the captain's confidence returning impressive figures of 7-1-15-2 and is now determined to carry on the good work.

"The two wickets have given me a lot of confidence. I was a little jittery playing my first match but my captain backed me. I soon settled down," the soft-spoken Salvi said.

Salvi got the selectors' nod only after pace spearhead Javagal Srinath decided to take rest after a strenuous World Cup and left-handed paceman Ashish Nehra opted out because of an injury which requires surgery.

And like many of the younger breed of cricketers, Salvi has grabbed the opportunity with both hands. "I may have got the chance because some of the regulars are not available. I will try to bowl to the best of my ability and I am sure my day will come," he said.

Salvi, who hails from Thane on the outskirts of Mumbai, is not too worried about his fate after the regular pacemen return to the squad. "My job is to bowl well. I am not really concerned whether I will be in the team later or not," he said.

For a cricketer who came into the domestic season just two seasons ago, Salvi has made rapid strides and has already been hailed as a great talent, particularly after his impressive tour with the India 'A' to the West Indies recently.

Interim coach Ashok Malhotra had singled him out for special praise and had even described him as the 'find' of the Caribbean tour during which he picked 29 wickets.

Malhotra, who has watched his progress from the very beginning, also helped him feel at home in the senior team. After picking as many as 60 wickets in 14 matches in the first season at the domestic level and his good show in the West Indies, Salvi was understandably quite confident of making it to the national team.

"I knew I had done well and had a good chance of securing a berth in the national team. I was confident." The cricketing background in the family has helped Salvi blossom into a mature cricketer and his parents have been a great source of inspiration.

"My father has played cricket and understands what a player has to go through. My parents have always supported me and I am really grateful to them," he said.

Salvi also owes a lot to Frank Tyson, the great English fast bowler, who had modelled his action during a camp in Mumbai. "I was lucky to have been selected for that camp in Mumbai. He corrected my bowling action and worked with me. Tyson's tips proved very useful as I have gone from strength to strength," admitted the bowler.

The lanky speedster is now concentrating on working on a few deliveries like the disguised slow one and the yorker, knowing fully well that variety more than pace is the key to succeed at the highest level.

Salvi believes that luck also comes into play in the hard life of a fast bowler.

Extras:
young paceman avishkar salvi has done the first thing right and is now keen to cement his place in the team by picking more wickets and not bothering much about the fact that he may have to make way for seniors once they return
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