West Indies batsman Amir Jangoo is on his maiden tour of India with the ODI squad, a call-up that arrived after years of domestic cricket in Trinidad and Tobago.
The 29-year-old middle-order batter marked the opening ODI against India with a fifty, adding to a Test debut in June where he scored a double century at North Sound.
His path through age-group cricket for Trinidad and Tobago to the national setup took nearly a decade, a wait that shaped his outlook.
"There was a bit of a struggle between those ages," Jangoo said.
"But then when I crossed 25, I just told myself, 'You know what, just enjoy the game.
Just be grateful that you're getting to play for your country, playing first-class cricket'."
Even as younger teammates reached the national squad earlier in his career, Jangoo kept his attention on improving his own performances to earn selection.
"And then, I would think to myself, 'You know what, I think I'm better than these guys. I think I could do better than these guys.
I think my ability is better, it's just I didn't have the performances in'," he said.
Once he secured his place in the West Indies line-up, the left-handed batsman made an immediate impression with a 79-ball century on his ODI debut while batting at number six.
"I always wanted to play cricket in India, against the greats like Rohit Sharma, Virat Kohli, even Shubman Gill.
Playing against these guys, it's a dream come true," Jangoo said.
Growing up in Trinidad, Jangoo drew early inspiration from former West Indies captain Brian Lara, while also incorporating aspects of Kumar Sangakkara and Quinton de Kock into his batting approach.
"I think not only just him (Kohli) as a player, but just his work ethic and the stuff that he's said in interviews, the way how he lives his life and stuff.
That is something that I really look up to," Jangoo said.
Adjusting to the Number Five Role
In the international arena, Jangoo has been assigned to the number five batting position, adjusting his strategy to match the demands of the middle order against quality spin and pace bowling.
"It's a new role for me in internationals, batting at five," Jangoo said.
"They know that I can do a job in the middle. So, for me, it's all about understanding the game scenario."
To expand his skill set across all formats, Jangoo spent extended training periods adapting his technique to develop greater hitting range for short-format cricket.
"I've been playing the CPL maybe seven years, but I wasn't really much of a T20 player," Jangoo said.
"For me, it was understanding, 'OK, well, I want to play all three formats. I know I'm a good enough batsman to do it'."
Without relying strictly on power hitting, Jangoo focused on specific drills to maximize hand speed and leverage the pace of opposition bowlers.
"I was learning how to hit the ball behind square, use the pace of the ball.
Obviously, I'm not one of the stronger guys to clear the ropes at will. For me, it's more about using the pace of the bowlers.
And when I do work on my power shots, I just try to execute them as best as I can," Jangoo said.
Jangoo continues his role in the ODI squad as West Indies completes its match schedule in India.
