Indian cab driver's son tipped to save Aus for Ashes

An Indian-origin rookie Australian pace bowler has been tipped as a probable hope for the Ashes after an explosive start to his first-class career and adapting well to the pressures of the Sheffield Shield.

NSW rookie pace bowler Gurinder Sandhu, the son of an Indian-born taxi driver, has been in the eyes of Cricket Australia (CA) for the Ashes when he played his English counterparts in last year's under-19 World Cup in North Queensland and the recent series against the English Young Lions, the Sydney Morning Herald reported.

Although Sandhu said that it will be a great honour if he is selected for the Ashes squad, he dismissed the talk as mere speculations on social networking sites, adding that he had been 'merely lucky to have performed well against the Lions'.

Sandhu further said that it was special playing against the Young Lions, for which he was picked a few days before the series started, adding that he got a taste for England in last year's under-19 World Cup and hoped to play in the future against England in a Test.

Despite his rise, Sandhu said that he has not allowed success to affect him, adding that coupled with a simple plan and luck, he was able to perform in the matches he had played.

Giving credit to his father for developing an atmosphere at his home suitable for cricket, Sandhu said that although his father had never played cricket except for bowling in the backyard for him and his brother, he never pressurised his sons and only expected them to do their best.

In the match against South Australia at the SCG on Saturday, Sandhu chimed in with four first-innings wickets, blasted 45 crucial runs, then claimed three wickets in the second dig on the way to recording match figures of 7-78 in the eight-wicket win.