Christmas 2007 and Ravi Bopara has much to ponder after arriving home from achastening first taste of Test cricket in Sri Lanka.
Three successive ducks on his introduction to the England Test team were not exactly what he dreamt of as a kid in east London, aspiring to the highest stage.
‘It was horrible,’ reflects Bopara. ‘But I couldn’t dwell on it. I just had to think of it as a blip. I had to convince myself it wasn’t anything to do with technique, it was just one of those things.
‘I certainly never thought it meant I wasn’t good enough to be a Test batsman. I said to myself, “Do you know what, just go out there and enjoy yourself”. I think that attitude has brought the best out of me.’
Fast forward 18 months and Bopara has never enjoyed himself more. Three ducks were followed by three successive hundreds in his first three Test innings since Sri Lanka, and Bopara, at 24, has the world at his feet. No England player has taken more out of the visit of the hapless West Indies than the likeable Essex man who looks to be on the verge of a substantial career.
World at his feet: Bopara departs the field at Chester-le-Street after scoring his third successive century for England
‘It’s a weird feeling to think about what has happened but I like the space I’m in right now,’ he confirms. ‘More than anything, that time in Sri Lanka made me stronger as a person.
‘Getting hundreds has given me confidence but the fact remains that I’m nowhere near being the batsman I want to be. When I look back in 10 or 12 years’ time I wantto be able to say that I’ve won games for my country.’
The batsman he wants to be is Sachin Tendulkar which, to be fair, is not a bad target. There have been few better than the Little Master — Bopara calls him his ‘ultimate hero’ — and the biggest compliment Bopara can be paid is that there have been glimpses of Tendulkar in his strokeplay over the past month.
Three successive ducks on his introduction to the England Test team were not exactly what he dreamt of as a kid in east London, aspiring to the highest stage.
‘It was horrible,’ reflects Bopara. ‘But I couldn’t dwell on it. I just had to think of it as a blip. I had to convince myself it wasn’t anything to do with technique, it was just one of those things.
‘I certainly never thought it meant I wasn’t good enough to be a Test batsman. I said to myself, “Do you know what, just go out there and enjoy yourself”. I think that attitude has brought the best out of me.’
Fast forward 18 months and Bopara has never enjoyed himself more. Three ducks were followed by three successive hundreds in his first three Test innings since Sri Lanka, and Bopara, at 24, has the world at his feet. No England player has taken more out of the visit of the hapless West Indies than the likeable Essex man who looks to be on the verge of a substantial career.
World at his feet: Bopara departs the field at Chester-le-Street after scoring his third successive century for England
‘It’s a weird feeling to think about what has happened but I like the space I’m in right now,’ he confirms. ‘More than anything, that time in Sri Lanka made me stronger as a person.
‘Getting hundreds has given me confidence but the fact remains that I’m nowhere near being the batsman I want to be. When I look back in 10 or 12 years’ time I wantto be able to say that I’ve won games for my country.’
The batsman he wants to be is Sachin Tendulkar which, to be fair, is not a bad target. There have been few better than the Little Master — Bopara calls him his ‘ultimate hero’ — and the biggest compliment Bopara can be paid is that there have been glimpses of Tendulkar in his strokeplay over the past month.
A big call, perhaps, but Bopara has started playing through the leg side, in particular, as well as anyone in world cricket and batted like a dream in the final one-day international at Edgbaston on Tuesday before getting out softly on 49.
The one remaining aspect of his game he needs to conquer is the tendency to give the bowler a chance with occasional lapses of concentration.
It is a fault that could have seen him dismissed before reaching three figures in Barbados and at Lord’s during the first two of those three centuries, but it is a minor quibble at this stage.
The one remaining aspect of his game he needs to conquer is the tendency to give the bowler a chance with occasional lapses of concentration.
It is a fault that could have seen him dismissed before reaching three figures in Barbados and at Lord’s during the first two of those three centuries, but it is a minor quibble at this stage.
Better to reflect on a partnership in excess of 200 at the Riverside with his schoolboy friend Alastair Cook, replicating many they have enjoyed on lesser stages since first batting together at the age of 13.
‘We really enjoyed ourselves,’ said Bopara. ‘Cooky played for England before me so I looked up to him. I can’t remember the first time we batted together, it was so long ago, but to do it like that in a Test match was incredible.’
Shame, though, that so few people were at the Durham ground to see it. There can have been few more low-key tours to England than the visit of West Indies but England could not do much more than win both the Test and one-day series convincingly. Bopara feels it is unfair to dwell on the limitations of the opposition.
‘It’s wrong to say West Indies weren’t interested,’ he says. ‘I just think we never allowed them to get into the game. They were never able to settle. We played really good cricket and there is an amazing freshness about this England team. We are really enjoying each other’s company and having fun.’
Now, after spending some time with his beloved Rottweilers Gotti and Buggsy — ‘They are fantastic dogs and they love me; they’re my best mates’ — Bopara will prepare for the World Twenty20, where he will be joined by Essex team-mates James Foster and Graham Napier in the England squad.
‘It’s great to get the Essex boys in,’ he smiled. ‘Fozzie’s keeping has gone through the roof in the past couple of years while he’s really worked out his game as a batsman. He’s awesome. Napes has had an amazing 12 months and deserves his chance. This is going to be a huge tournament and we haven’t won a global event before so it’s important. In our conditions we can win it.’
Deep down, though, everyone knows this summer is about the Ashes. Bopara hasnailed down the ‘problem’ No 3 position and will have a chance, in Cardiff from July 8, of becoming the first Englishman to score four consecutive Test hundreds.
Such has been the impact he has made he is even being ‘targeted’ by the Aussies now, Mitchell Johnson telling the world that he is after him. Is he bothered?
‘Whatever,’ shrugged Bopara. ‘I’m not sure what being targeted means. Don’t they want to target all 11 players? I can’t think about the Ashes yet but when it comes I’ll just be thinking about enjoying it.’
It’s the only way forward for Ravi.
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