RP Singh sings RAP

MUMBAI: Uttar Pradesh left-arm seamer Rudra Pratap Singh is fast emerging as India’s strike bowler, courtesy his sharp in-swingers.

He played a crucial in role in India’s historical 1-0 win over England in the recent three-Test series, where he had a five-wicket haul (in the 2nd Test at Nottingham).

And the other day, he had a four-wicket haul against South Africa — one of the highpoints of India’s campaign in the T20 campaign.

Having been in and out of the team, the 21-year-old UP bowler has worked hard to cement his place in the Indian squad. Former Uttar Pradesh coach, Rajinder Singh Hans, who has seen RP since his under-19 days, can’t stop praising the youngster. “RP has improved tremendously,” he told DNA on Saturday.

“His bouncers are effective, he can bowl yorkers, inswingers, outswingers whatever you say. He is improving by each day and can become of one of the best fast bowlers in India,” said Hans, now the coach of Jharkhand.

Talking about RP’s under-19 stint, Singh said: “He has always been a hard working boy. He used to work in all areas from fitness to bowling and fielding.”

The 54-year-old Singh described RP as a sincere student of the game, who never took his game lightly. “When he was not in the team, he used his time working on his weaknesses. That made a lot of difference. He worked on all aspects of the game,” said Hans.

Praising RP’s sharp incoming deliveries, which had victims like Pietersen and Matt Prior (in Nottingham Test against England), Herchelle Gibbs and Shaun Pollock (in Twenty20 game in Durban), Hans said it took a while for his protégé to master this act. “Earlier, he used to bowl good outswingers. He could not bowl the inswing. He then worked hard on to achieve his inswingers, which has become one of his dangerous weapons.”