It isn't easy to mine information about Jalaj Saxena. When I tell him about my futile attempts at researching his story on the internet, he offers an almost apologetic smile. I ask him half-jokingly if he doesn't give interviews. "I can't possibly ask people to interview me, right?" he says, and offers a shy smile. "People who want to interview me, like you in this case, I never say no to." The shy smile was on display as well when he won the Lala Amarnath award for being the best allrounder in the 2014-15 Ranji Trophy. It was recognition for his 583 runs and 17 wickets for Madhya Pradesh in that season.
In a way it was a slightly belated reward for his performances in preceding seasons. In 2013-14, he had scored 545 runs and claimed 35 wickets, while in 2012-13 his corresponding numbers were 769 and 10. Jalaj's performances have retained their gloss this season as well; so far he has scored 530 runs at an average of 44.16, opening the batting, while his offspin has earned him 46 wickets at 20.30, including a 16-wicket haul against Railways to record the second-best figures in Ranji Trophy history.
It is this consistency that gives Jalaj the most satisfaction. "I have been quite consistent with both bat and ball over the last three-four years, and I will work even harder to ensure it continues this way," he says. "Because if you perform well in one season and fail in the next then it means there is something wrong with your game as you aren't able to perform consistently. It feels good that MP values me as a key player."
While Jalaj's numbers no doubt make for impressive reading, you get the impression that, at 29, it has taken him a while to reach his current level. After all, for someone who prides himself on being a genuine allrounder, he was regarded as little more than a bits-and-pieces journeyman until recently. There were insinuations in some quarters that Jalaj was picked for the India A tour of West Indies in 2012 because Narendra Hirwani, who also hails from Madhya Pradesh, was part of the then selection committee.
Jalaj admits to feeling hurt then but says it only made him decide to work even harder at his game. He feels he justified his selection with a half-century and three wickets in the third unofficial Test followed by a decent showing in the one-day series.
"I did feel hurt at one point of time [at not being called a proper allrounder]," Jalaj says. "But then I told myself - not to prove to anyone else, really - that I had to improve my game. I feel really blessed that God has given me two skillsets. Not everybody becomes an allrounder. I make sure I don't think about bowling while I am batting and vice-versa. As far as blooming late is concerned, there is a time for everything. I believe in destiny."
Jalaj's quest for improvement gained traction during his IPL stints in recent years with Mumbai Indians and Royal Challengers despite the fact that neither team gave him any playing time. Apart from greater attention to physical fitness, a big takeaway for Jalaj was the purposeful preparation that he saw among top international players.
"Their work ethics are really strong. Once while batting I was concentrating for every delivery, but I was wondering why I wasn't getting to the pitch of the ball," Jalaj says. "Sachin [Tendulkar] sir made a minor change by asking me to spread my feet a little wider and it immediately made a difference.
"Generally, at a lower level, you bat and bowl and train once or twice in a week. But the IPL experience taught me the value of training regularly, especially during the off-season, and it is something that I strictly follow now."
Jalaj's efforts to align his mental energy with the physical have been aided by yoga, the practice of which is a tradition in the Saxena family. "My father learned it from my grandfather and has passed it on to me," he says. "I also visualise during every single activity, be it breathing or stretching." He then points to his shoulder. "If you are stretching out this part, then at that point you need to visualise the muscle being stretched.
"There are times when you realise that your mind wants to do something but the body doesn't cooperate. That's why you see that when a coach instructs something there are some boys who quickly grasp it while others take a lot more time. It's very important to coordinate your mind and body. Yoga helps me do that."
That he comes from a family that has a sporting background has also helped Jalaj. While his father was a state-level swimmer and has also coached at the National Institute of Sports in the past, his brother, Jatin, is an active cricketer who has represented Madhya Pradesh in all three formats. After their formative years in Bhilai, the Saxena siblings moved to Indore, where Jalaj was coached by the current president of the MPCA, Sanjay Jagdale, at the Cricket Club of Indore. Jalaj continued to idolise Jatin, his senior by four years, and feels Jatin is the better allrounder of the two.
"I have learnt a lot from his experiences," Jalaj says. "Whatever mistakes he made, I watched and learnt from him. I learnt about what could go wrong in a cricketing career and how to make a comeback from him. I am very close to him and discuss a lot of cricket with him."
Jalaj says every action of his is geared towards fulfilling his dream of playing for the country. According to him, one of the bottlenecks in this regard is his reticence. "Because of my shyness, I don't end up talking to a lot of former players."
But whenever he has managed to seek out former cricketers for advice, he has invariably been the better for it. "Hirwani helped me become a little more side-on in my action, and pivot more. I also worked a lot with Anil Kumble at Mumbai Indians on strengthening my stock delivery. I want to talk as much as I can to senior players."
On the subject of a national call-up, Jalaj says he doesn't feel hard done at not receiving one. "I think the dream of playing for India motivates me to improve my game," he says. "If I haven't got a call yet, then I don't think I have done so much and yet haven't been selected. I think I should be doing even better than what I am doing at the moment. I will keep trying till I am good enough. It's my dream and I will work very hard to achieve that."
He then breaks into a smile and adds for good measure: "I don't let shyness come in the way of performance on the field."