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Indian international Ashoke Dinda recently announced his retirement from all formats of the game. The former fast bowler has now talked about how he wished he had the opportunity to play in Test matches for India.
Ashoke Dinda last represented India in an ODI against England in 2013. He was behind the coveted Test spot after he had played for his country in the white-ball formats. Speaking exclusively to Indranil Basu on Sportskeeda Live, Dinda said he would have been a more satisfied man today if he had made his Test debut.
"Of course, any cricketer who starts playing (seriously) has a desire for playing for India. After playing for India (in ODI and T20) and taking so many wickets in domestic cricket, there was only one thing in my mind - 'Until I get the Test number, I will not sit quietly.' I always had that inside me," said Dinda.
"In fact, I was picked in the Test team for the India-England series and India-Australia series after taking 59 wickets in domestic cricket. But I never made my Test debut. I was on standby for eight matches but didn't get a chance to make my debut. If I had got one opportunity in Tests, then maybe I would have been satisfied today," said Dinda.
However, Ashoke Dinda feels there are quite a few examples of 'domestic kings' who never played for India.
"But honestly there are quite a few players who didn't play for India but are remembered fondly. Like Rajinder Goel and Amol Majumdar. They never played for India but they were still the domestic kings. They scored tons of runs and took many wickets. Looking at them, you feel everyone doesn't have the luck to get everything they desire. Then, I feel it's okay as it has happened with many others," said Dinda.
Ashoke Dinda played 13 ODIs and nine T20Is for India, taking 12 and 17 wickets respectively. He might not be remembered for his exploits in international cricket, but there is no doubt that he would be counted as one of the stalwarts for the Bengal side in domestic cricket.
I always bowled with my heart: Ashoke Dinda
The India seamer was known for his ability to bowl long probing spells. Whether Dinda was bowling the first ball of the day or the last, he could always be seen steaming in. Speaking on this, Ashoke Dinda said he always bowled with his heart and gave his 100 percent.
"I tried to give my 100 percent in each and every ball. My coach always said - 'If you get tired, then you are not fit. If you can't bowl 25 overs in a day, then you cant be a Test bowler.' So I had to train a lot for that, especially in the off-season. There was no point in bowling if you couldn't give your 100 percent. I always bowled with my heart," revealed Dinda.
In 116 first-class matches, Ashoke Dinda claimed 420 wickets with an impressive average of 28.28. He took 26 five-wicket hauls and five 10-wicket hauls in his career. In international cricket, the 36-year-old's most memorable performance came against Sri Lanka in a T20I where he finished with figures of 4-19.
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