Ojha reveals hardships in 'toughest year'

Pragyan Ojha has said he faced a "big question mark" when he was banned from bowling due to an illegal action, and faced a choice between leaving cricket and fighting his way back. He credited his Hyderabad colleagues, including VVS Laxman, for motivating him through "one of the toughest years" of his career, and D Vasu and M Venkataramana, the former Tamil Nadu spinners, for helping him correct his action and ensure a speedy return to bowling.

Ojha, who was banned after the BCCI tested his action in December, underwent a remedial programme under the supervision of Vasu and Venkataramana in Chennai. Cleared after a re-test at the ICC-accredited testing facility in Chennai, Ojha was back playing first-class cricket in February. On Friday, he picked up his first five-wicket haul with his new action, during India A's four-day match against Australia A at the MA Chidambaram Stadium.

"It was one of the toughest years for me," Ojha said. "After playing about six years of international cricket, suddenly you get into that, and I don't want any cricketer to go through that phase in his entire career.

"A big question mark was there. There were two ways for me, either just get out of cricket or just fight your way back, and I'm glad that senior players like (VVS) Laxman bhai always spoke to me, and I've got a few colleagues in the Ranji Trophy side, they were there, they were literally monitoring me every day.

"And when I was here practicing with D Vasu sir and Venkataramana sir, the offspinner from Hyderabad, Amol Shinde, he personally came here. He was with me, for 20 days he was monitoring me, he was like my shadow. That was one phase. Those 20-25 days I was very low, but after that things really changed for me and I'm able to achieve what I want to."

The fundamental change Ojha made was in the angle of his run-up. Earlier, he would approach the crease diagonally; now he comes in straighter. Ojha said everything else, including the straighter bowling arm, was a consequence of this change.

"Technically it was because of my front foot, I was going too across, so what I did, instead of going diagonal I've come straighter, and my body is totally going towards the batsman. So that is how things have become better now, for me."

Having taken a few matches to get used to his new action, Ojha said he was now comfortable with it, and able to bowl naturally once again.

"It was not that much physical, it was much more mental, to accept the angles that we're talking about right now," he said. "So it took me a couple of games. When I played the Ranji Trophy, (the action) was something new to me.

"Then I played Irani Trophy, then I practiced with Mumbai Indians, the whole (IPL) season, 40-45 days I was there, so it really got into my system, where it's much more natural than I'm thinking and then bowling. Initially when I started I was bowling with my mind first and then with my body, but now it's become more natural."

Ojha said the hardest part of correcting his action was fighting his muscle memory.

"That was the most important part," he said. "That is where D Vasu and Venkataramana sir and few of my colleagues, they were monitoring me. Because like you've been bowling right from your childhood with a particular action and it's already into your system.

"So unknowingly, you do mistakes when nobody is monitoring you, so that's how these guys played a very important role. They were watching me, they were taping me every practice session and every practice game I played, they were watching me very closely, so that those things don't come again into my system."

Ahead of the series against Australia A, Ojha said he played three league matches in Hyderabad to get match-fit, bowling "30-40 overs in each game".

"That's how I got my rhythm. I came here, I just wanted to bowl. Wickets were there in my mind, but it wasn't the priority. I was thinking, okay, I have to bowl it there, I have to hit the right areas, and things will happen."

Ojha said he would stick to a similar mindset when it came to thinking about a comeback into the Indian team.

"Playing for the country is the priority for anyone who starts his cricket, for any country he plays for," he said. "So yes, definitely I'm looking forward to perform in this A tour; we've got one more game to come, tomorrow is a crucial day for us, and then I think we've got a couple of games against South Africa A. I'm really looking forward to it, and I want to perform, just bowl the way I've been bowling.

"I haven't really thought about it like, maybe in a couple of months I want to get back. I've just thought, if I perform, I have to do well consistently, I have to pick up wickets, and then I think things will follow after that."

In his quest to stay in the selectors' thoughts, Ojha has swapped Ranji Trophy teams, moving from Hyderabad to Bengal in order to play in the top tier of the competition. Ojha said Sourav Ganguly, the joint-secretary of the Cricket Association of Bengal, had welcomed the move.

"He told me they were very happy to have me there," Ojha said. "First reason why I wanted to move was because of the Elite group. I wanted to play in Elite group and play against better teams, so that I give a fair chance to myself to do well in the domestic season. That was the only thing I told him, and he was very happy, he was very confident that whatever happened last year, it's all gone."