'Meeting Sachin was massive for me'

The 20-year old New South Wales Blues player, currently in India for the Champions League Twenty20, spoke to Deccan Herald on a number issues ranging from his career to Australian cricket. Excerpts:

On his Champions League experience: It has been pretty exciting so far. This is the first time I am playing in India. The teams involved in this tournament are of top standard and it is a big challenge when you play against top players from different parts of the world.

On adapting to Indian conditions: I have visited India for a brief while, but playing in a match is different. Conditions here are different from what we get in Australia. So adapting to these conditions as quickly as possible is important. Batting in India offers a totally different experience, primarily because the conditions and pitches here are vastly different from Australia.

On his below par Ashes performance: See, it’s special for any Aussie boy to play in the Ashes. It was disappointing when I was dropped. But I have put the entire episode behind me. It also made me aware of the need to keep working on my game.
On Australia’s transition and the role of youngsters: The future of Australian cricket is definitely bright. We have seen the signs in the last two one-day series, against England we won 6-1 and then we lifted the Champions Trophy. As a young guy this is the right time for me to step in and learn from the experiences and seniors around you.

On his interaction with Tendulkar: I was able to meet Sachin (Tendulkar) and that was a massive thing to happen for me. We had a good couple of hours chat on cricket. He is a great guy and for a 20-year-old like me it was remarkable to listen to a great of the game. Lot of things we discussed about cricket, technique etc, and I won’t forget the interaction ever.

On NSW’s cricketing tradition and his way to the top: There are a lot of greats coming out of NSW. It’s all about learning from them, and asking as many questions as possible to them. These guys have played a lot of international cricket and we have to utilise their experience. My house was five and a half hours drive from Sydney, and it was quite tough travelling that distance. If I wanted to develop as an international cricketer I had to be at Sydney as professional cricket there is quite tough and of high quality. But then I received a lot of help from family and close mates.

On being branded as a Test batsman: Oh I love Twenty20 cricket and one-day cricket. Back home we had the Pura Cup and we also have seen the IPL on TV, so we know how big the concept is. I love batting in shorter form as well as in the longer form.