New Delhi: “Sir, yakeen nahi ho raha Cummins (Pat), Hazlewood (Josh) aur Starc (Mitchell) ke saath run-up mark kiye hain (I can’t believe I have marked my run-up alongside Hazlewood and Starc),” Ashok Kumar recalled the first conversation he had with his ward, Vasudev Prasad Singh, from Brisbane on July 14.
Singh, 20, from Bihar’s Muzaffarpur district, and 18-year-old Abhishek Moond from Rajasthan’s Sikar district trained alongside Australia’s Test squad for two weeks as part of the long-running partnership between the MRF Pace Foundation and Cricket Australia.
MRF Pace Foundation Program Manager and Head Coach M. Senthilnathan said watching the two youngsters during the first couple of days was an absolute delight.
“They were like kids in a candy store, pinching each other. They were overwhelmed for the first two days,” Senthilnathan told TimesofIndia.com from Brisbane.
“Vasu hails from Bihar and Abhishek from Rajasthan. They come from smaller cities in our country. To train with Cummins, Starc and Hazlewood is something they would not have imagined even in their wildest dreams. But having said that, it was a great learning curve for them. They rubbed shoulders with two of the world’s best. They saw how they train, how they bowl in the nets and, most importantly, how they understand and manage their bodies, which is very important for every fast bowler,” he added.
The duo trained from July 13 to July 24 at Cricket Australia’s National Cricket Centre (NCC) in Brisbane. They also attended training sessions involving the Australian men’s Test squad at the Allan Border Field.
“Getting the opportunity to train with the Australian senior team has been an incredible experience,” Moond told this website.
“The whole environment is different. The batters are of the highest quality, so you have to be consistent and keep bowling in the right areas. I’ve learned that I need to pitch the ball slightly fuller than my usual back-of-a-length.
“The bounce and movement have been excellent, and the experience has been fantastic. Training with players of this calibre is a huge confidence booster. At my age, getting the chance to practise alongside cricketers I’ve watched since childhood is very special. I’m sure I’ll learn a lot from them.”
Like Moond, Vasudev Prasad Singh believes the experience extends far beyond simply sharing the nets with Australia’s Test stars. For him, the opportunity is about learning the finer aspects of fast bowling in conditions that reward pace and discipline.
“The biggest advantage of this tour is the opportunity to train with the Australian senior team. We get to learn so much from them. The environment here is excellent, and the conditions are ideal for fast bowling,” said Vasudev Prasad Singh.
“We’re able to bowl long spells, which helps us improve our skills. Exposure like this is extremely important for a cricketer. Bowling to world-class batters in favourable conditions teaches you where to bowl, how to plan your spells and how to set the field.”
Ashok Kumar, a former Bihar cricketer who has worked with the likes of Sakib Hussain and Mohammad Izhar, two other promising pacers from the state, shared an interesting story about his ward.
“For someone who has bowled most of his formative years on matting wickets, this was an experience he will never forget. Vasu has represented Bihar at the Under-19 and Under-23 levels and has all the attributes to play for India. He has a very good outswing. He is still raw but will be a ready product in a couple of years,” Ashok said.
Senthilnathan echoed Kumar’s sentiments.
“They are good boys. Their work ethic is excellent. They train hard. They are still raw, but they will only get better from here,” he said.
The visit is part of a high-performance exchange program that has connected Indian and Australian cricket for more than three decades, making it one of the sport’s longest-running international development partnerships.
The MRF Pace Foundation and Cricket Australia have worked together since 1992, building on Australian pace legend Dennis Lillee’s association with the Foundation after it was established in Chennai in 1987.
The program gives young Indian cricketers exposure to Australian conditions and training methods, while Australian players sharpen their skills in subcontinental conditions. The partnership has helped shape several leading fast bowlers. Australian greats Glenn McGrath, Mitchell Johnson and Brett Lee have all been associated with the Foundation, while Indian stars such as Javagal Srinath and Zaheer Khan are among those who benefited from its development pathway.
Looking ahead, Senthilnathan believes the Brisbane stint will prove to be a defining chapter in the youngsters’ development.
“We’ve had a long association with Cricket Australia and it has helped so many Indian pacers over the years. We saw what Prafull Hinje and Sakib Hussain did after their exposure here. Prafull spent three weeks training in Brisbane and returned a different bowler. Experiences like these accelerate growth. Vasu and Abhishek are still raw, but they have the attitude and work ethic to go a long way. You’ll see them making an impact in the years to come,” he said.
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