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Untitled Document
 India unearth a new star in Praveen Kumar
5th Mar 2008 23:00 IST
Agencies
It was the Perth Test that made Ishant Sharma a bowler to reckon with in international cricket and it was in the Tri-Series triumph in Australia that India unearthed a new star in Praveen Kumar.
The unassuming young man from Meerut - a town better known for sports goods equipment - bowled India to victory with a stunning performance of 4/46 that earned him, for the second time, the Man of the Match of the award in the second finals against Australia. It helped India achieve a 2-0 win to grab the Tri-Series title.
The 21-year-old Praveen, coming from a family of wrestlers, refused to get into an akhara or wrestling pit, and instead used his muscles to fling the new ball down the cricket pitch.
The family wanted him to wrestle on the mat. But Praveen wanted to wrestle down batsmen. He had to ward off home pressure and grapple with the difficulties of life to find his goal in cricket.
Cricket would be the last sport anybody in his family would have wanted him to take up. Praveen was different. He found his solace in flaunting his muscles on a cricket field -- and a fast bowler was born.
Not a furious fast bowler who would browbeat the batsmen with sheer pace, but one who would pose searching questions with his probing line and length to add to his potent swing.
On Tuesday, Praveen skimmed through the Australian top-order with his amazing swing bowling in the second match of the best-of-three finals.
With great support from his inspiring skipper Mahendra Singh Dhoni, Praveen blossomed in the series to emerge as India's strike bowler.
If it was lanky Ishant, who tore through the famed Australian batting order throughout the summer Down Under, Praveen's heroics with the swinging ball helped India create history.
Praveen is yet another fascinating story of a small town boy from an ordinary family making it with grit and determination.
Praveen's man-of-the match award in the crucial match against Sri Lanka in Hobart February 26 where he took 4/31 earned him instant stardom.
Then with Dhoni keeping faith in him, he picked up for 2/49 in the first final against Australia.
He proved that neither of those performances were a flash in the pan when his skidding deliveries had the Australians rattled in the second final Tuesday. His four wickets in the second final brought his tally to 10 in the tournament.
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