Harsh Dubey credits domestic cricket for smooth India ODI debut

India spinner Harsh Dubey reflected on his ODI debut against Afghanistan, discussing his initial nerves, lessons from domestic cricket, India A and the IPL, mental preparation for international cricket, and the importance of adapting plans according to match situations

Hyderabad: Left-arm spinner Harsh Dubey made his ODI debut for India in the series opener against Afghanistan and finished with three wickets in a rain-curtailed match. Speaking on JioStar’s ‘Cricket Live’, Dubey opened up about the nerves ahead of his international debut, how his experiences in domestic cricket and the TATA IPL helped him, and his preparation ahead of the international season.

“I found out the previous evening, before practice, that I was making my debut. I actually slept well, without thinking about the match too much. The first over didn’t go as well as I would have liked. I was trying to stick to my strengths, but things don’t always go according to plan. After that first over, I was thinking about what I could do better, what lengths, speed or trajectory I could bowl that would work on that wicket,” the left-arm spinner said.

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On how helpful his experiences in domestic cricket, India A and the TATA IPL were, Harsh Dubey said: “Obviously, those things help because you come through a system after performing in domestic cricket. Then you get an opportunity in the IPL, where you are part of a good environment and share the dressing room with international players. Those experiences really help because, eventually, the more you communicate with senior players, the more you learn, and that is beneficial going forward. I got those opportunities while playing for India A in the Emerging Asia Cup and then in the IPL, and I kept improving step by step. Those opportunities certainly helped me feel a little more at ease before my debut. There were definitely nerves, but not as much.”

On his preparation, Harsh Dubey said: “After a certain age, I feel preparation becomes more mental; it’s about how you prepare yourself for every situation because you have to be ready for an opportunity at any time. During the off-season, I kept that in mind and practised with both the red ball and the white ball so that I am prepared, irrespective of the format. Since I didn’t get a chance to play in the Test match, my focus was on doing well in the ODIs. I spoke to my coaches and worked on my bowling and fielding, and those things really helped.”

On his planning against specific Afghanistan batters before the match, Harsh Dubey said: “In our team meetings, we discuss the kinds of shots a player might play and the areas in which he is strong. At the end of the day, we can only try because he is a batter and has more opportunities to score runs and, in ODIs, there is one more fielder inside the ring.”

“So, I tend to go with my gut feeling more often than not. For example, with the first wicket I got, their captain, I knew that if I bowled a bit quicker, it would be easier for him to hit. So, based on that situation, I moved away from the plan slightly and it worked. You should stick to your plans, but not be rigid in thinking they will always work. You have to be open to changing them according to the match situation and the conditions,” he said.