Indian trio in Australia U19 team reflects on cricketing, life journey Down Under

Bengaluru, Sep 19 (PTI) Aryan Sharma, John James and Yash Deshmukh might be nourishing dreams of making it big in Australian cricket, but they have not snapped the inner connection with India, the country of their origin.

Australia Under-19’s multi-format home series, beginning at Brisbane on Sunday against their Indian counterparts, is a splendid opportunity for them to meet some bright talents from the subcontinent and exchange notes.

But it is also a chance for them to reminisce about their families’ journey from India to Australia years back, the first stepping stone in finding a sporting career Down Under.

John James, a bowling all-rounder, son of Jomesh and Smitha, who migrated from Wayanad, Kerala, to Australia, for better career opportunities, initially found it tough to adapt to Australian sporting culture.

“I think the biggest challenge I had faced was when we moved an hour away from Sydney to the Central Coast. Getting to and from training and games were tough but my parents made it easy by taking time off work ensuring I got the opportunity to play the best cricket possible,” James told PTI from Brisbane.

“Initially, not many teams were willing to sign me up but I am grateful to Asquith Rugby League Cricket Club (Asquith Cricket Club) for signing me up halfway through the season.” The biggest moment in his budding career was when he worked as a water boy during the fifth Border-Gavaskar Trophy Test between India and Australia at Sydney earlier this year.

It gave James a chance to meet his heroes — Josh Hazlewood and Mitchell Marsh.

“I was lucky enough to be a water boy for the Sydney Test in the Border-Gavaskar series and was able to meet all my heroes that I have watched on screen and got to meet my favourite Mitch Marsh.

“Josh Hazelwood also being from New South Wales you see him at Cricket Central (centre of excellence) and have conversations with him,” added James, who is eager to travel back to Kerala this off-season to meet family and friends and taste his grandmother’s pork curry.

Similarly to James, Aryan Sharma, a batting all-rounder who hails from Chandigarh, remembers that adapting to Australian life was not really easy for his family.

“My dad (Raman Sharma) first came to Australia to attend his brother’s wedding in 2000 as a visitor, then he moved to Australia in 2005. My parents always told me that moving from one country to another was challenging. It wasn’t always easy for my family to ingrain into the Australian way of life, but the support they had (from relatives in Australia) made a big difference,” said Aryan.

“I realise the real challenge wasn’t mine, it was my family’s. They sacrificed a lot to support me, with my dad taking me to training and games, meaning my siblings and mum missed out on his time. That commitment from my family is something I’ll always be grateful for,” he added.

Aryan said Cricket Victoria’s pathways programme has played a massive role in his development as players.

“I started playing at Epping Cricket Club, where Andrew Bennett helped me along with Michael Rogeneda. Now at Carlton where I have been playing cricket for the last 3 years, Evan Gulbis and Bruce help me a lot.

“Also, big thanks to Cricket Victoria and coaches Tom Evans, Travis Dean and Jon Holland (former Australian Test cricketer).” Aryan cherishes the dream of meeting star batter Virat Kohli, possibly during India’s upcoming one-day series in November.

“My favourite player is Virat Kohli. He’s always been someone I’ve drawn inspiration from. If I ever get the chance to meet and talk with him, it would be an incredible experience.

“What inspires me most is the way he has impacted Indian cricket, and I want to do the same for Australia, to play with passion and make a difference for my country,” he added.

Aryan has first-hand knowledge of how cricket is being played in India, and how fans follow the game religiously.

“I have been to India a couple of times recently. I went for cricket training purposes in 2024. I spent my time in Chandigarh and earlier this year when Cricket Australia sent a group of 10 boys for cricket training in Bangalore in India,” said Aryan, who relishes typical Punjab dishes made of chicken and paneer.

The family of Yash Deshmukh moved to Australia from Maharashtra, and the all-rounder recollected that the initial days have been quite tumultuous.

“It (migration) wasn’t the easiest due to factors such as language barriers, cultural differences and other things but we slowly managed to adapt to it.

“Personally, the challenge for me was to be able to compete with the kids here with a different physical build where the kids raised here are naturally a bit bigger and stronger from the diets here compared to the traditional Indian food,” said Deshmukh.

However, Deshmukh lauded Sydney-based veteran coach Mitch Yearsley for helping him leap over the hurdles.

“I’d say, Mitch Yearsley (veteran coach based in Sydney), my green shield coach and my current coach outside of the club as well, has had a big impact on developing my game from when I first started playing till now,” reflected Deshmukh.

An ardent Kohli fan, Deshmukh now wants to find a berth in the Australian team for next year’s ICC U19 World Cup, to be held across Zimbabwe and Namibia, along with other Indian origin players. PTI UNG ATK