Ojha’s positive spin

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Chandigarh: In its two seasons, the Indian Premier League (IPL) has provided a launch pad to quite a few fledgling careers. Even then, Pragyan Ojha’s name deserves a special mention. The Deccan Chargers left-arm spinner earned a call-up for the ODI team — albeit not a place in the playing XI — with eleven wickets in the first year. And after an even better show in South Africa this time, where he took 18 wickets, he is confident of shedding the ‘bench-warmer’ tag when India start their campaign in World Twenty20 next month.

The young spinner asserts his experience of bowling on bouncy pitches in South Africa will come in handy in England. “Since it will be summer in England, conditions will suit the spinners even more. IPL2 showed that spinners can do well on bouncy tracks. Harbhajan (Singh) and I share a good camaraderie, and he has also taught me how to play a few shots. I hope to play a part this time and can’t wait for the action to begin,” Ojha told The Indian Express.

On his life on the Team India sidelines, Ojha says it was a learning experience. “Sitting on the bench made me learn a lot of things. I was involved in team discussions. I used to talk to the coach and the captain It all made me realise that I belong to this level and just have to be patient. On my tour to Sri Lanka, I spent some time watching Muttiah Muralitharan and Ajantha Mendis, and it helped me a lot.”

Later, it was his outing on bouncy tracks in New Zealand that helped him prepare for the IPL. “The New Zealand tour also meant that we were habitual to playing on bouncy surfaces and this made a lot of difference while playing in the IPL in South Africa. There, I could add loop to my deliveries and it also gave me a chance to add more variations to my bowling. And of course, both VVS Laxman and Adam Gilchrist played a big role in promoting me,” said Ojha.

Meanwhile, former India spinner Venkatpathy Raju was also upbeat on Ojha’s chances in England.