Having scored a double ton in his previous visit to Mumbai, promising Punjab batsman will pose a threat to Aditya Tare & Co
Young and talented Punjab batsman Mandeep Singh strolled around the Wankhede Stadium with a bat in his hand, faced some throw downs and returned confidently to the pavilion.
His body language suggested that he felt at home here. And rightfully he can claim that Mumbai is where he likes to be. With a double hundred in his previous Ranji outing at this iconic venue – 211 – albeit in a drawn encounter in 2012-13, Mandeep can't wait to pad up here on Thursday against Aditya Tare's Mumbai in the second round of the premier domestic tournament. He is excited to take guard, especially after scoring a century – 109 vs Railways – in the season's first game last week.
"Yes, I do remember the double century here. The wicket here suits me. The ball comes with a good bounce, so you can cut and pull well. It suits me as I play those shots. I have worked out my strategy and have worked on my game, so am confident of enjoying the batting here," Mandeep said here on Tuesday.
"I scored a century in the first match, so I have got off to a good start. The focus is on continuing the good form. Sometimes you do get to a ton anyway but the main thing is to continue batting well. Sometimes luck is not on your side, sometimes you are not able to convert the fifties, so my aim is to continue batting well. I will focus on the process more than the outcome," he said.
The aggressive middle-order batsman said the team is confident ahead of the big game. "A start like this (win against Railways last week) is a huge boost for us. We did well in all the departments. We are feeling confident ahead of this match."
Mandeep, however, doesn't want to take Mumbai, who conceded first innings points to Andhra in the last game, lightly. "Honestly, you can't judge anyone's form from one match. If you have done well, you definitely do take confidence from that. They (Mumbai) have conceded three points, so they might not be that high on confidence. Whoever we play and wherever we play, we will focus on our strengths,"said Mandeep.
The promising batsman's India under-19 teammates like KL Rahul, Jaydev Unadkat and Sandeep Sharma from the 2010 batch have gone on to play for the senior team while he is still trying to impress the selectors. He admitted that his inconsistency was one of the reasons that could have delayed him breaking into the national side.
"There have been one or two years when the consistency hasn't been as good in Ranji Trophy. In the multi-day format, you should score consistently to get noticed. The aim is to score three-four hundreds this season. I will focus on the process. Virat (Kohli) and all are mentally very strong. I have spoken to Virat (Kohli) and AB (de Villiers) (both his team-mates at Royal Challengers Bangalore). I keep learning from them. They have also said that more than the technical part, what matters is how you handle things mentally and how you approach the game."
The hard-hitting batsman said he wanted to be more responsible with his stroke selection. "You want to hit the shots but you have to exercise control in this format. I am a senior player in this side, so the responsibility also increases. I am looking to play more responsibly this season — play longer, stay longer at the crease and play more balls," he added.
KNOW MANDEEP
Born on December 18, 1991 in Jalandhar, Punjab
Plays as a middle-order batsman for Punjab
Plays for Royal Challengers Bangalore in IPL
Has scored 3,310 runs in 49 first-class games with 9x100s, 14x50s
Captained India 'A' to win in T20 warm-up game against South Africa in Delhi recently
Scored a double hundred in his last outing at Wankhede in a first-class match against Mumbai
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