Ashok Dinda’s reputation is rising. He has played for India, takes wickets for fun in the IPL - despite being in a team of International stars - and has been endorsed by no less than Allan Donald.

He may not have a perfect bowling action, but he is certainly successful as a fast bowler. He can keep speeds up near 145kph and can swing the new ball. What is it you can learn from a player like this?

I put it down to two key elements. One is technical, the other is mental.

First, Dinda would be happy to admit his action is far from beautiful. His trailing leg splays out like more like a spinner.

But what he does have is a killer “hang time”. His jump to the crease is both high and long. He looks like Jordan sailing through the ait to slam dunk. This jump gives him a huge amount of energy stored up in the coil position.

The key thing is that he jumps up AND forward. An upward jump sends your enery upwards and you can’t get it into the ball. By jumping forwards you have a huge store waiting to snap back through your body as you land your front leg. That energy goes through you, into the ball and maximises your pace.

He has not always been International class and it took him a while to reach his standard. Many assumed he wouldn’t be able to be more than an average player. But Dinda felt differently. He worked hard without fail; he listened to advice and learned quickly.

Setbacks don’t seem to bother him. If he gets hit for a six he turns back to his mark and tries to bowl another high speed, swinging delivery that catches the edge. He is always at the batsman and never goes through the motions.

These are character traits that everyone who wants to learn how to bowl fast can learn. It’s this mental toughness both in practice and in the middle that leads to improved technique, quicker bowling and more success.

With a base of irrepressible mental strength you can achieve your dreams, just like Dinda is doing.

If you want to be more like Ashok Dinda and improve your mental toughness, get the online coaching course How to Use Mental Training to Boost Your Game. It contains worksheets, tips and guides to developing a rock solid mental system that is the basis of all top players.