The best thing is that Pragyan Ojha is enjoying Mahendra Singh Dhoni’s leadership and might well be one of the stars of the ‘young brigade,’ which the Indian skipper is grooming meticulously, writes V. V. Subrahmanyam.
This migratory bird is all set to take wing in the world of Test cricket. For, left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha, who shifted his base from Bhubaneswar to Hyderabad in 2001 to pursue studies is now all set to realise the ultimate dream of any cricketer — to play Test cricket. With the experience of rubbing shoulders with the virtual who’s who of Indian cricket, the 22-year-old tweaker having already played five one-dayers, might well make his Test debut very soon a s he is already in the squad for the Test series against England.
It is exactly eight years since Venkatapathi Raju, a Hyderabadi bowler — and a left-arm spinner, co-incidentally — last played for India. And, not surprisingly, he made it a point the other day at the Gymkhana Grounds to have a long session with his young ‘successor.’ Apparently Raju, who had played at the highest level, including two World Cups, had some words of wisdom for Ojha. “This boy has the talent and the single-minded dedication to achieve his goals,” said Raju.
Well, the high-profile Indian Premier League has proved to be a major platform for many young players to showcase their talent. And Ojha seized the chance of playing for Deccan Chargers in the IPL with some impressive spells. For instance, the spell on a minefield of a pitch at the Eden Gardens against Kolkata Knight Riders, when he scalped Sourav Ganguly.
But, what clearly changed the course of his career was the tidy spell he bowled to the Indian captain Mahendra Singh Dhoni of Chennai Super Kings in Hyderabad in the IPL. Giving little freedom for the big-hitter with an impeccable line and length and wonderful variations, Ojha had Dhoni in a tangle. And the impact, also given his consistency for India ‘A’ teams in the last two years, was almost immediate — a call up for national duty for the Test series and one-dayers in Sri Lanka. Though he played only in the one-dayers, Ojha had the rich experience of playing with the best of Indian cricket.
“That itself is a huge learning process. When you bowl to the best batsmen of spin bowling in world cricket, your confidence is bound to go up and the invaluable tips they give you is another revealing feeling,” says the unassuming Ojha. “Definitely, I am a much more improved bowler now and ready for the big task of bowling in Test cricket,” he asserts in a chat with Sportstar. “Apparently, I don’t want to hazard any guess on my prospects of playing in the XI, but definitely given the huge opportunity I am ready to seize on that," he said.
With off-spinner Harbhajan Singh giving special attention to the Hyderabadi, the latter is only looking ahead. “Bhajji bhai kept telling me to stick to basics and bowl consistently well to be successful. He did not specifically suggest any changes in my action either. He kept his advice simple and effective. I hope to implement that and be a better bowler,” says Ojha.
For the record, Ojha made his mark with his 29-wicket haul in the Ranji season in 2007, a year which also saw him play for India ‘A’ in Zimbabwe and Kenya, he picked 26 wickets including two five-wicket hauls. He also bagged eight wickets against the South Africans at home. These were performances which spoke of talent and commitment after the early influence of his uncle Nurshing Choudhary.
Inspired by watching his mentor Raju and admiring the likes of Mohd. Azharuddin and V. V. S. Laxman, Ojha is keen to let his performances speak. “I am aware that it is more difficult to retain one’s place in the Indian squad than actually getting one. There is no doubt it requires a tremendous amount of hard work and temperament to rise up to the expectations. However, my commitment can never be suspected. That much I can assure anyone,” he says candidly even while mentioning that he owes a lot to his coach and ex-Hyderabad Ranji star Vijay Paul.
For someone who started off as a fast bowler and changed to a spinner on the advice of his school coach Sashank, Ojha is thankful for all the support the Hyderabad Cricket Association has been extending to him over the years. “Honestly, I never got the feeling of an outsider. I was always comfortable in any grade of cricket I played for the State,” he says.
What is important in his case is the way he has moved up the ladder using every opportunity. He has not merely looked back at past achievements. “The desire to keep improving is the key to my progress,” he says with a big smile.
The best thing is that Ojha is enjoying Dhoni’s leadership and might well be one of the stars of the ‘young brigade’ which the Indian skipper is grooming meticulously. “I enjoy the whole atmosphere when he is around.
He makes everyone so comfortable and also feel important in the team’s gameplan whether you are in the playing XI or not. It is a privilege to be associated with someone like him,” signs off Ojha.
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