India left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha is going through an uneasy phase. At 23, Ojha has played three Tests and nine one-dayers but he hasn't yet got a permanent slot in the national team.
Eager to keep improving, Ojha was at the Gymkhana grounds on Wednesday morning for a work-out. He constantly consults two of the best spinners from Hyderabad namely Kanwaljit Singh and S.L. Venkatapathi Raju.
“When I talk to them, it is more about mental approach than making any major adjustments to my bowling technique,” he told The Hindu .
“Being only a frontline spinner with no proven ability as a batsman, I have to make serious efforts to perform better with the bat and for this I had long sessions with Gary (Kirsten) and I am trying to follow his instructions in the nets here,” Ojha said.
Deodhar Trophy
He is now aiming to do well in the Deodhar Trophy limited-over tournament which precedes the IPL-III. “It is important for me to be among the wickets to be in the one-day squad. With Harbhajan not playing the one-day series against South Africa, I thought I would get a chance,” he said.
“Definitely, IPL-III is a huge opportunity for me to regain my lost place in the Indian squad for the T-20 World Cup in the West Indies in April,” he said.
“On South African wickets the ball was holding back a bit, making the batsmen think twice before playing their strokes. On Indian tracks, I have to rely more on variations in flight, line and length,” he said.
With the Deccan Chargers camp commencing from February 28, Ojha admits that the tag of defending champion does put some pressure on players because of the high expectations.
Hope
Although he does not find a slot regularly in the one-dayers, Ojha played in the last T-20 World Cup thanks to his performance in the IPL. “This gives me lot of hope and I am confident of making it to the team again for the West Indies edition,” he said.
Ojha is also concerned at the very few Tests being scheduled. “Maybe, this is another grim reality which I have to face. So, my objective is to make optimum use of the chances that come my way and keep improving.”
