'I was in a trance-like mode' - Srikar Bharat

"I can see you playing like Sehwag," Andhra captain Mohammed Kaif kept telling Srikar Bharat and the 21-year old lived up to the praise and become the first wicketkeeper to make a triple-century in the Ranji Trophy. His 311-ball 308 helped Andhra rack up 548 for 5 and by close of the second day and they had knocked out eight Goa wickets in Ongole.

Srikar didn't remember much of the highlights from his 504-minute marathon, punctuated with 38 fours and half-a-dozen sixes and was surprised when told about his record: "Oh, is it? I don't know. I wasn't aware of anything. Right from ball one, my focus was on batting as long as I could."

Before it could be viewed as a well-practised cliché, his elaboration made it seem otherwise. "From a very young age, I have never looked at the scorecard. Frankly, it only makes you more nervous," he told ESPNcricinfo.

Nervous he wasn't when he went about dismantling Goa's bowlers and ensured Andhra chugged along at over 4 runs per over for 123 of them. "I remember batting for one-and-a-half days, but I was at a stage where nothing had an effect on me. People were clapping, team-mates were clapping, and I was acknowledging. But I don't remember other details. I was in a trance[-like] mode, to be honest. I was interested only in watching the ball and playing it," he said.

One look at Andhra's scorecard, and you think the pitch is the stuff of batsmen's fantasies, with two of the top-three batsmen scoring big hundreds, and the other tallying 63. It wasn't quite the case.

"The wicket was green, but it didn't do much," Srikar said. "Or, at least I didn't feel it. Obviously it was doing a bit, but between balls I told myself to watch the ball, and play it. That [talking to myself] went on throughout the innings.

"[Given] the flow I was in, I was shuffling in the crease and unsettling the bowlers."

Srikar's restless nature goes back to when he was 12 years old. "He would keep wickets alongside me when I trained at the Andhra nets," MSK Prasad, the ACA cricket operations director, said. "Srikar would listen to me talk, and imitate me. He was a very energetic cricketer, hyper-active actually. His keeping has improved in the last two years, but he needs to be more consistent."

Consistency is a trait Srikar has sought to fine-tune with the help of Krishna Rao, Andhra's assistant coach, who has mentored him since childhood. "I can't say [that I have become more consistent], but I am more mature and my understanding of the game is better.

"Playing in India, you learn front-foot strokes, but neglect back-foot play, because wickets aren't conducive for that," he said. "Right from the start of this season, Krishna Rao sir and I worked on my cut and pull every day. All that learning helped me in this game."

Srikar's experience with the Young Stars team in the TNCA-first division league has also helped hone his batting: "We don't get similar wickets in every game there. It gives you a better idea of your own capacity, and that has helped me play hard cricket after coming back to Andhra."

Andhra could be in contention for the knockouts should they win here, but they would be knocked out if Himachal Pradesh secure a first-innings lead.

"We badly want to play in the Elite groups," Srikar said. "It's there on our minds. But we can't control results. Only the intent is in your hands. That's what Kaif bhai has been telling us."

As an opener, Srikar admitted to often fretting over technique and once more, it was Kaif who helped unclutter his mind. "He would tell me that technique was important, but wasn't everything. 'Tera mein woh cheez hai accha karne ka, aur lamba innings khelne ka. Abhi jo hai us se khelna.' [You have it in you to do well, and play long innings. Whatever technique you have, play with it]. Just trust yourself, and play."

And Kaif has set Srikar a steep goal as well: "Is talent se tu India nahin khelega, toh ek din tere ko bahut bura lagega. [If you don't play for India with such talent, you will regret it one day]."