Colombo, Aug. 4: At a time when India’s spin stocks seem to be depleting rapidly, Pragyan Ojha’s effort in this ongoing third Test must give the selection committee some cause to cheer. With no great competition in sight and Murali Kartik written off, it is time for Ojha to stand up and be counted. There were good indications on Day One and the Hyderabadi continued to persevere on teh second day too.
“There was something in the wicket. My job was to stick to the basics, bowl in the right areas and make things happen. This is the best day for us as a bowling group as we executed our plans well. It was a disciplined effort from us,” said Ojha.
The first session belonged to Ojha who kept one end tight. His figures for the day read an impressive 13-6-19-2. To carry the burden of this inexperienced attack will stand Ojha well for the future. “When such a situation arises it’s important to approach it positively. It’s a chance to do something for your country and I am happy I was able to deliver today,” added Ojha.
Coming off the flat SSC deck, Ojha registered his best figures of 46-10-115-4. “At the SSC even the good balls went for boundaries and wickets were hard to come by. This has been a more even contest as it had something for the medium pacers too,” said Ojha.
The spinner was unlucky on so many occasions where he beat the bat with nothing to show on the score sheet.
Ojha also gave credit to the Sri Lankan batsmen especially Thilan Samaraweera for their application and noted their score of 425 could be overhauled if the Indians continued to bat the way they did on the second day.