RS Ambrish living the cricket dream that began with his father

When 18-year-old seam-bowling allrounder RS Ambrish was ripping through New Zealand with a four-wicket haul in the Under-19 World Cup in Bulawayo, his father, R Sukumar, who was several thousand kilometres away in Chennai, was living vicariously through his son. Sukumar had captained Tamil Nadu Under-19 and was on the fringes of the Railways team in domestic cricket, but he couldn't graduate to the next level. On Saturday, he savoured the Player-of-the-Match performance of his son.

Sukumar, who now coaches the Integral Coach Factory's cricket team in Chennai, is also his son's personal coach. "Very proud moment to see him representing the country," he tells ESPNcricinfo. "It's the same proud feeling - whether as a father or coach. I try to manage the dual role. When I'm on the ground, I try to be a little strict and whenever I'm at home, I try to be a friendly, jovial father."

During India's final group-stage fixture, Ambrish took the new ball and undid both Hugo Bogue and Tom Jones with extra bounce. He also yorked Marco Alpe with an inswinger that rushed the batter and then returned with the older ball to have Selwin Sanjay hole out with a nifty, slower cutter. India skittled New Zealand for 135 in 36.2 overs and claimed victory.

Just 18, Ambrish is already a do-it-all player for his teams. The India Under-19 team management trusts him to bowl across phases, build or rebuild the innings in the middle order, and also smash the ball when the time comes. Though Ambrish had suffered a side injury in the lead-up to the Youth World Cup and missed the Asia Cup, his all-round skills had India slotting him right back in once he was fit.

Apart from Ayush Mhatre and Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Ambrish is the only player in India's Under-19 side with first-class experience. On Ranji Trophy debut against Jharkhand in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu trusted him to open the batting alongside N Jagadeesan after their other regular opener fell sick. Ambrish had also bowled to Ruturaj Gaikwad at the Chennai Super Kings Academy last year.

Sukumar has vivid memories of how it all started for Ambrish when he was just a year old. "I remember at that time, he picked up my cricket bat and wanted to play. At the age of one year or so, other kids will pick up plastic bats, but Ambrish was picking up my cricket bat. I had a fear he would hurt himself but he seemed comfortable and I understood he had the passion and spark for the game.

"He was a natural left-hander. I tried to change him to a right-hander and see what works for him but we understood left is natural for him. He bowls at a sharp pace with the right hand and I didn't want to disturb him."

Ambrish is a natural athlete - he excelled in track and field when he was in school - but eventually followed his father's footsteps and decided to become a professional cricketer. He idolises Ben Stokes and hopes to become a genuine allrounder like him in the future.

"As an allrounder, I know I have to come down the order [in white-ball cricket] and bowl overs [in different situations]," Ambrish said during the domestic season last year. "So, I prepare according to it and maintain my fitness. Since I was young I've liked Ben Stokes for his all-round skills."

Ambrish had an opportunity to watch his hero live in the Edgbaston Test in July last year, when he was also touring the UK with the Under-19 side. Ambrish came away as the joint-highest wicket-taker for India in the Youth Tests and the joint-highest wicket-taker overall in the Youth ODIs besides contributing with the bat.

"I can bowl hard lengths naturally and it worked out well in England," Ambrish said. "Our coaches told me that we may get some green wickets but wickets won't come automatically. Even if it's a helpful wicket, we have to bowl in control to get the wickets. So, we didn't want to get carried away by the wickets there."

As a batter, Ambrish needed more time to adjust to the English attack's own hit-the-deck bustle. "England have a lot of tall bowlers - you don't see too many tall, fast bowlers in Chennai," he said. "The first 20 balls, if you see, I didn't hit much. I needed some time to get used to their height and pace. I struggled the first few balls and then got well set and played my shots."

India have barely needed Ambrish with the bat in the Under-19 World Cup, which is a reflection of their depth at this level too, and while he and his team are gunning for the title again, he is far from satisfied with the success that has come his way.

"I'm not putting too much pressure on myself," Ambrish said. "I see Under-19 as a starting stage of my career and want to progress and it shouldn't stop at Under-19 level. I want to win games for my team with both bat and ball."