He started out as a promising left arm spinner. But now he is known more for his batting skills and has a penchant for tall scores. It has been quite a transformation for Sridharan Sriram. The talented 24- year-old southpaw from Chennai spoke at some length to Cricinfo's Natarajan Sriram.

  Natarajan Sriram: From the under-13 to the under-19 level, you played as a left arm spinner and after that you seem to have shifted from being a spinner to a batsman. When did this transition happen and how? [Audio]

Sridharan Sriram: Actually I never thought of that. I always thought that I would be a bowler. There were two left arm spinners in the state, Sunil Subramaniam and Diwakar Vasu who were doing really well and there was a stage when I was not doing very well. MRF did not have any top order batsmen at that time. So they wanted me to start opening the batting or go in at No 3 and I think that it is my good fortune that I succeeded as a top order batsman. There was one Ranji match in Goa when I never got a chance to play. During the same season Raman and Robin Singh were away on International duty, playing in the Titan Cup I think. Robin was selected and Raman had an injury and did not come for the match. That was the chance I got to bat at No 3 for Tamil Nadu and I made 80 runs in the game. But I had to sit out for the four day game and the next match against Hyderabad got a chance in a one dayer and scored 57 and took three wickets. This earned me a Ranji match against the same opponents and I scored a 50. That's when it really started.

  NS: Last season in the Ranji Trophy you scored more than 1000 runs and that actually gave you an opportunity to knock at the doors of international cricket and you made your debut against South Africa at Nagpur. How was your experience at the international level? [Audio]

SS: It was really exciting and was a sort of dream come true. I would always watch players like Saurav, Sachin or Rahul on television and I was always dreaming of playing alongside them. It is always a really great feeling to represent your country. I was not really nervous or anything but was very excited.

  NS: Then came the NCA, that was a boon for any cricketer who aspires to play good quality cricket and you had the opportunity to rub shoulders with the likes of Roger Binny, Sunil Gavaskar and Bishen Singh Bedi. You were selected to the NCA primarily as a batsman but what was your experience with Bedi and the others who were quality spinners? [Audio]

SS: Actually I was not there when Bedi came to the academy. I was in Australia as some of us had gone to the Cricket Academy there. Vasu Paranjpe and Hanumant Singh are so experienced. They have been watching the game from the 1950's or so and they had a lot to say and they passed on whatever they knew to us. They obviously know a lot more because they have seen the game since those days and listening to Vasu sir telling stories about Vijay Merchant or Vijay Manjrekar or Dattu Phadkar was really inspiring. It helps you a lot. He keeps telling us stories like how they batted and how they went about their game. Also stories about Vinoo Mankad, how he used to bowl and out think a batsman. It was really inspiring for me.

  NS: Then came the trip to the Australian Cricket Academy. You were selected along with Shiv Sundar Dass and Mohd Kaif to go to Australia on a scholarship. What about your experiences there? [Audio]

SS: I spent a week with Gavaskar before that and I can never forget that in my life. He is such a great opening batsman and he spent three or four days with me. He spoke to me a lot on a personal basis and I think he has been instrumental in selecting all the three of us along with Rodney Marsh who had come here earlier. They were the ones who picked us for the Gavaskar Border Scholarship. It is going to be an annual affair I think. It is one of the best things that could happen to a cricketer to go and train in the Australian academy which has produced so many great cricketers like Ricky Ponting, Shane Warne, Glenn McGrath. You name the Australian cricketer and they are from the academy. They are really professional in their approach. The first day we went they said we start at seven and we were amazed to see the punctuality - when they say seven they start at seven. And the professionalism with which they go about their training or the nets really amazed us. What really has changed in me is the attitude after going there. I think my attitude has really become positive and I have become much more stronger mentally.

  NS: With all this experience that you have gained and with the new season that is scheduled to start where do you see yourself - as a batsman or as a spinner? [Audio]

SS: I do not want to classify myself as either a batsman or a bowler. I can bat and bowl, I can field well and I can open the batting or play in the middle order. In that way I can be an asset to the team. I don't want to be labelled as a batsman who can bowl or a bowler who can bat. I would like to be a utility man for the side and do whatever the team management wants me to do. For whichever team I play for I am ready to play that role.

  Sridharan Sriram talks about being selected as one of the 23 indian probables for the ICC Knockout Trophy. [Audio]

Sridharan Sriram: I'm obviously very delighted at being one of the probables for the Indian team that will take part in the ICC Knock out Trophy. Actually I was a bit disappointed that I was not a part of the team that played the Asia Cup in Dhaka. However, it turned out to be a blessing in disguise. When I came back I got the good news that I was being sent to Australia. That was a very good experience. I've come back from Australia a different cricketer. I pay a lot of attention to my bowling. I keep working at it in the nets. I'm looking forward to bowling in the nets in the camp and hopefully for India as well. I wouldn't like to brand myself either as a One-Day cricketer or as a Test cricketer. A Test cricketer can always adapt to play limited overs games. My grandfather was instrumental in my taking to the game. The rest of my family too has helped me a great deal. My employers MRF, Mr. TA Sekhar in particular and others like WV Raman, M Senthilnathan, N Gautham and Hemang Badani have helped me along the way. They have all stood by my side. It has been a tough climb. I have struggled a bit at times and I'd like to remember my friends and well-wishers for motivating me and keeping me going. I am what I am today because of all of them. As the saying goes, `Remember those you meet on the way up, because you'll meet them again on the way down.' What goes up has to come down. How long you stay at the top is up to you.