Dave Dubey walked off the plane and straight into the furnace.
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The teenager had arrived in India for an intense stint at elite cricket academy ICWC in Maharashtra. It was to be his home for the next three months and the setting for hours of arduous training sessions.
The period allowed Dubey to experience a range of different playing conditions and styles and refine his game while also connecting with his heritage.
The 19-year-old's parents are Indian and he relished the opportunity to visit his father's hometown of Ayodhya while abroad.
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It's early days, but the initial signs suggest Dubey's time in India has provided a launching pad for a fruitful year. The 19-year-old scored a rapid fire century off just 62 balls in ANU's victory over Western District last week and he's set his sights on plenty more.
"I was training there six days a week with a bunch of boys from all around the world," Dubey said. "We'd do two net sessions on turf, a gym session and fielding every day. It really helped me lift my game.
"It showed me how hard I have to work to make it and conditioned me to that level of work so when I came back I was able to work a bit harder and push through."
![Dave Dubey has hit the Cricket ACT first grade by storm with a stunning century. Picture by Sitthixay Ditthavong Dave Dubey has hit the Cricket ACT first grade by storm with a stunning century. Picture by Sitthixay Ditthavong](/images/transform/v1/crop/frm/GzY3iczng7SLWqVgHSV78t/eb50249b-47e7-49f0-9888-deab51e06b7e.jpg/r0_384_5400_3552_w1200_h678_fmax.jpg)
Dubey's century came in his first game for ANU, having made the move down from Sydney. The side has claimed their first two matches of the season but faces a stern test against Queanbeyan this weekend.
The two-day clash starting Saturday is set to provide an indication of where ANU is placed against the competition's top teams and Dubey is excited by the challenge.
The teenager was a mainstay in the Randwick-Petersham second-grade side but decided he needed to make a change to kickstart his career.
Dubey quickly gained selection in the ACT under 19 team after a series of impressive trial performances and will play at the national championships in November. There, he hopes to put his hand up to be picked in the Australian junior side.
"I'm hoping to perform well and push into the Comets side based on how I go," he said. "Also if I perform well at Nationals hopefully I'll be knocking on the door of the Australian [under 19] team."
Cricket ACT Round 3
ANU v Queanbeyan at ANU North Oval
Wests v Ginninderra at Jamison Oval
Weston Creek Molonglo v Tuggeranong Valley at Stirling Oval
North Canberra Gungahlin v Eastlake at Keith Tournier Memorial Oval
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