Ajay Nayak
Right Hand Batsman
Right Arm Fast Bowler
(Even though it looks blank, do click on the video below, it will play)
Introduction:
God blessed WVUCC in 2007 with a bunch of quality all-rounders; none as bright and active as Ajay Nayak. Unlike the other all-rounders in the team, who are either batsmen who can bowl or bowlers who can bat, Ajay is equally talented in both. I always felt confident sending Ajay up the order or throwing the ball to him for a spell. Playing in his first season, Ajay made his place in the team as an experienced and mature cricketer. Known more for his acting talents, Ajay was the humorous part of this otherwise serious cricket bunch (Editor's note: scroll down to the bottom of this piece to see an example). He brought a smile on the faces of one and all. Ajay could be a first choice opener in any other PCA team with ease and if the team did not have quality players like Arvind and Manish at the opening spot, Ajay would have opened for the team for sure and scored many more runs than he did this season.
Progress:
For someone playing his first season, Ajay emerged as a seasoned campaigner and while other players in the team took years before they could come to grips with the playing conditions, Ajay started his account off with supreme self -confidence and ease.
My first impression of him was that of a comic character who would struggle making it in to the playing 11. All my doubts about his abilities were thrown out of the window when I saw him bat for the first time during the net sessions. He looked like someone very dangerous as a batsman. The thing which struck me about this new talent was his intent. Each and every stroke of Ajay had some purpose behind it. He is not one of those guys who will settle down, try to buy time and see how things shape up. He is one of those who will shape the things up and make things happen. This is the difference between a good player and a very, very good player.
He justified his selection in the team by scoring three scores above 20 in his very first season for the team. One of those was opening the batting for the team; a match-winning career-best 39 against the Lumberjacks. As a fast bowler Ajay generates a lot of pace and swings the ball away from the batsman. Like all the genuine swing bowlers in the team he suffers with his control of the swinging ball. Ajay raised his hand every time the team needed him for a specific role, whether it was opening the innings in the absence of Manish or Arvind, or taking the new ball. Usually I do not like people asking for things themselves but with Ajay it was different. I could see sincerity in his eyes every time he put his hand up. It was his self-confidence which enabled him to succeed in whatever role was given to him.
He scored 141 runs for the season with top scores of 39, 29, and 21. He also took 10 wickets with best figures of 2 for 23 against the Blitzers. 2 catches and 1 run out effort was the perfect icing on the cake to end a splendid first season. I am not sure about this but these could possibly be the best stats for any all-rounder in his first season for WVUCC (maybe Manish would know. Editors note: Yes, Sohail is right).
My favorite Ajay Nayak stroke: Straight drive for Six!!!
My favorite Ajay Nayak innings 39 against Lumberjacks with 3 fours and 1 six.
Technical Analysis:
Batting:
Ajay's batting strength lies in his back-lift and quick foot movement at the crease. He is a very active batsman at the crease, constantly moving his legs and making room for strokes both on his front foot and back foot. With a high back-lift Ajay is able to hit the ball with a lot of force but also times the ball to perfection. For those of you who have played at the PCA ground and know the conditions of the pitch, you know very well how dangerous a high back-lift could prove to be for the low bouncing balls aimed at the stumps. Surprisingly, Ajay hardly got troubled with this and I think it is because of how quickly he adjusts to the different lengths. Ajay favors the leg side over the offside primarily because he aims to score runs off boundaries and is not an accumulator of runs. He is a good runner between wickets and a good judge of the singles.
Bowling:
Ajay relies on pace more than control to get his wickets, and why not? He is one of the quick arms in WVUCC, along with Avinash and Amol. He can swing the new ball and bowl toe-crushing Yorkers at will. He too, is a rhythm bowler and he has to feel good about himself, his run-up and landing in order to bowl well. He started the season off by doing an excellent job bowling at the death end of the innings alongside me but then lost his rhythm after his return from his PhD qualifying exams. His weakness lies in his delivery and the follow-through. His natural length is right up to the batsman which works well for him as long as the ball swings but proves to be his downfall when the ball gets roughed up. When he is told to bend more at the point of delivery he does well and finds the short of good length on a regular basis. His wrist position is good and his head is well balanced at the point of delivery.
Mental Analysis:
The greatest gift that any sportsman has is confidence and Ajay is never found lacking in this. He believes in himself and applies his talents on the field with determination and a competitive spirit. He was always my number one choice when it came to choosing all-rounders in the team.
At one stage I remember the other senior members of the team telling me that he could be a bad option with the new ball in the end of the season when our new ball pair Venkat Sathi and Harsheesh Patel were not available. This was due to the fear of his lack of control over the new ball. Not only did Ajay control the flow of runs but proved to be a wicket-taker for the team almost always breaking the opening partnership early and putting pressure on the other teams. He took 8 wickets in his last 5 games including the playoffs and made me proud. I always support those who play for the team and back themselves up. Well done Ajay!
What Else:
Apart from all this Ajay is an excellent person to have when travelling to and from the ground. He constantly talks about everything in life and is very expressive. The same happens on the field. It is people like Manish, Arvind, and Ajay who play the sledging game on the field and contribute by applying pressure on the opposition. Being the social man Ajay is, he maintained very good communication with the senior and junior members of the squad and gave a nice balance to the overall shape of the team. If this is how Ajay played in his first season, I wonder about his performance next season being a senior member of the team and one who knows the conditions really well.
Marks Out of Ten this season (8.0/10)
(Editor's note: Anyone who has spent time with Ajay knows that he is a great impersonator of cricket commentators. Unfortunately, the only video that I have is this one where he does his take on Imran Khan. If anyone has access to some of his other impresonations, please do share them with me and I shall post them here.)
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