IND vs ENG | ‘I’ve been part of the targeted players list’: N Jagadeesan after India call-up | Cricket News

N Jagadeesan (Image credit: TNPL)

CHENNAI: On Thursday afternoon, N Jagadeesan was getting ready for a routine practice session in Coimbatore when his phone buzzed. The Tamil Nadu wicketkeeper batter found out he would be travelling to England for the fifth Test between India and England at The Oval as a replacement for injured Pant. The 29-year-old, who also opens for TN in the domestic circuit, has dreamt of this opportunity for a long time. Speaking to TOI on Friday, Jagadeesan said: “I got a call from the selector, and he said: ‘You might get another call in one hour’s time. So just be ready.’ And after that, I just had a lot of jitters waiting for the call. It was a very happy moment. “I’ve always dreamt of being a part of the Indian Test team. I think wearing the whites has got something special to it. And that’s always been something in my head…something I really wanted to be part of. And for it to just happen, it was a very joyful moment.”

While the news may have come as a surprise to many, Jagadeesan said this call-up didn’t exactly feel “out of the blue” to him. “Maybe it’s out of the blue for a lot of people, but I’ve been part of the targeted players’ list for the past two to three years. I was with all the other targeted players at the NCA (National Cricket Academy) for the entire year and over the last two and a half years. All of us wicketkeepers were there. At some point, I knew that I was probably hovering near the door. I knew I just had to put my head down, stay in the present, and work hard,” Jagadeesan said.

Jagadeesan is in awe of Pant, who battled a fractured foot to score a crucial half-century in Manchester on Thursday before handing over the gloves to Dhruv Jurel.

“No doubt he’s (Pant) a superstar. The kind of cricketer he is, it’s really special. And the way he came back from the accident, it was really brave. It’s something that a lot of people probably would not have done. Last year, we were in the same Duleep Trophy side (India B), so that’s when we actually got to play together for the first time,” Jagadeesan said. Jagadeesan, who has been mentored by former India player Robin Uthappa, doesn’t yet know what his role will be in England. But he believes the coaching that he has got from Uthappa and the UK tour with the Tamil Nadu Cricket Association (TNCA) last year has prepared him for English conditions. “I’m grateful to Robin for his help. Also the fact that TNCA took me to the UK for a 27-day tour, which was a major boost. It was a very good learning experience because that was the first time I went outside Asia. Adapting to weather conditions was a big learning curve,” he said.