Not one to give up easily, Jalil once again entered another contest for pace bowlers and this time he made a mark. It was third time lucky for the young pacer. Finally, there was recognition for the boy, who at times even sat on the roof of local trains during his journey from Mumbra to CST.

“What can I do, I can only do hard work. I was sure about that. I don’t believe in letting the lows pull me down,” says Jalil, who happens to be one among the regional winners of a recent pace contest organised by Gatorade.

His younger brother Javed has played for Mumbai under-17 and under-15 teams but the elder sibling seems like a late bloomer.

Jalil’s interaction with top level cricketers has been brief and fleeting. He was among the net bowlers at Wankhede Stadium when the Men in Blue were here last year. “Sreesanth was impressed with my bowling and also gave me a few tips. That was a high point for me,” he said

Despite these limited returns from the game, Jalil has never shied away from struggle. “If I have to reach ground for early morning practice then I have to make sure, I don’t miss 5:10 am train for CST. Otherwise catching next train will be a big risky,” he said. Further he adds, “And if you miss that train the next train is after four hours.”

Traveling by road is tougher, he explains. “You have to change three buses and with kit bag it was almost a difficult thing to do. It takes three hours and it is impossible to get a seat,” he said.