Interview with Pragyan Ojha: "Sourav Ganguly offered me an opportunity to play for Bengal"

Ojha tasted success alongside Ashwin at one point

Cricket is not called game of glorious uncertainties for no reasons. The fortunes of teams and players change overnight. At present, Pragyan Ojha is the prime example of this truism. He was adjudged Man of the Match in the last Test he played (against West Indies at Mumbai in 2013), but his career took a dramatic turn when he was dropped from the Indian team after soon he was barred from bowling in competitive cricket due to dubious bowling action. His world fell apart.

But not the one to be bogged down by encumbrances, he went back to the drawing board and corrected his action. In an exclusive interview, he talks about what was wrong with his bowling action & how he ameliorated it, the tough time he encountered, and why he would represent Bengal in the next Ranji Trophy.

Q How tough was the last one-and-a-half-year after you were barred from bowling in competitive cricket due to dodgy action?

I was taken aback when I was barred from bowling. I could not believe that there was anything wrong with my action. It was an extremely distressing time for me. But I decided that I would not crumble under the cosh and would combat the stumbling block with resolve.

What do you think was the problem with your action and how did you come to terms to it?

Look, when one plays cricket constantly, there are a few wrong habits that creep in. I had subconsciously picked up some wrong things. I was not even aware that I was doing anything untoward till I was barred from bowling.

After the initial shock, I had to come to terms to the fact that there is something amiss pertaining to my bowling action. Technology detects things which human eye cannot. The first step of setting things correct is to accept the reality so there was no point being bitter and living in delusion.

How did you go about correcting your action? What measures did you take?

I am extremely thankful to Divakar Vasu and Venkat Raman who helped me immensely to rectify my action. They kept a close eye on my action and told me the things I was doing wrong. You need someone to monitor you closely and explain the technical mechanism. It is to their credit that they not only made me conversant with the nuances, but also gave me a lot of encouragement.

They ensured that the atmosphere was upbeat and didn’t let any negative thoughts engulf me.I owe a lot to both of them. Without them, it would not have been possible to rectify my action so smoothly and rapidly.

What were the things which you were doing wrong?

Look I wasn’t doing anything deliberately. As I said, few wrong habits crept in without me noticing them. Divakar Vasu and Venkat Raman explained them to me. For instance, I was using only the wrist and fingers to generate spin, not the whole body. My front foot while landing used to be towards covers, not the first-slip. These are minute details which one doesn’t notice while playing cricket constantly. When one is plugging away in the field bowling long spells, one tends not to focus on these small things.

Earlier, you had an open-chested action. Now it is less open-chested and a bit side-on. Have you managed to retain the same bite and potency as before with this remodeled action?

There are a clutch of technical jargons involved which I would not like to get into. But I must tell you that I am quite comfortable with my remodeled action. Fortunately, I have not lost zing and have been able to bowl with same gusto and penetration.

I snapped up 8 wickets in the 2 first-class matches I played after rectifying my action.I have bowled in a lot of local tournaments and have done reasonably well. I would like to believe that I have taken quite well to new action.

Are you hopeful of making a comeback into the Indian team?

I was Man of the Match in the last Test I played for India. So form has never been an issue. As I mentioned that I am bowling quite and have regained the rhythm. So I don’t see any reason why wouldn’t I get selected for Indian team again if I perform well in next Ranji Trophy. Besides, I’m just 28 years old, so age is also on my side.

Who were the people who stood by you during the crisis?

I must thank my family and friends who lent their unstinting support to me and didn’t let me slip into a pit of despair. My senior and colleagues from Hyderabad cricket also kept in good spirit. I shall always be thankful for them for standing by me when I needed them the most.

You were barred from bowling after playing international cricket for around five years. Shouldn’t there be a system in place which detects dodgy bowling actions at an early stage of cricketers’ career?

I am not authorized to speak on this issue. But I gather that the BCCI is setting up such a system so that dubious actions can be detected and rectified at an early stage.

Why have you decided to play for Bengal in the upcoming Ranji Trophy after representing Hyderabad all these years?

Sourav Ganguly approached me and offered me an opportunity to play for Bengal which I couldn’t turn down. Also, Bengal is a part of Elite Group in Ranji Trophy and I wanted to be a part of the team of the Elite Group. There is a lot of difference in the quality of cricket between teams of Elite Group and Plate Group.

Playing against the teams of Elite Group would ensure that my performances would get noticed and if I put up a stellar show, chances of my selection in Indian team would be considerably higher. These are the reasons which prompted me to represent Bengal in the impending Ranji Trophy. But Hyderabad would always be close to my heart since I have played all my cricket there and I share a great rapport with all people associated with it.