Deccan Chargers captain Adam Gilchrist stood amongst his team mates,ready to cut a cake to celebrate their victory over Mumbai Indians on Saturday night,waiting only for Pragyan Ojha,the architect of that win. The left-arm spinners 3-21 had put the brakes on Mumbais chase,and the 22-year-old was busy signing autographs even as his team waited to kick off celebrations. Ojha stands at a critical juncture in his cricketing career: he has been with the Indian team for close to a year,but has remained on the fringes of the playing XI. But six wickets in three games,giving away just 62 runs in 12 overs at a remarkable bowling average of 10.66 and economy rate of 5.16,the Hyderabadi is proving to be a priceless pearl for the Hyderabad franchise. His critics still find fault with his bowling style the conventional flight is missing and he generally prefers to fire them in but Ojha isnt really bothered. The fact that I dont flight my deliveries and bowl a lower trajectory doesnt mean I am afraid of getting hit by the batsman,or that I am running away from a challenge. I feel the requirements for each format are different. In Test cricket,you can work batsmen out,in ODI cricket you can mix and match your deliveries,but in Twenty20,success depends solely in your ability to contain them, he says candidly. Having spent a year travelling with the team,and talking to senior players both in his team and opposition camps,Ojha says he has come a long way. He has spoken at length with Daniel Vettori,Murali Kartik,Anil Kumble and Harbhajan Singh,and that has helped in executing plans. The tips I got from them were very useful,and though its frustrating to be a part of the squad and not being able to be a regular part of the playing XI,I have decided to just be patient,happy to be part of the squad and soak in as much cricket education the seniors provide. Rajus role Actually I have matured a lot between the last IPL and this IPL and that is showing in my bowling now. I am able to react better to different situations, he says. Ojha acknowledges the role senior Hyderabad spinner Venkatapathy Raju has played in shaping his career. He has been my role model and has been extremely helpful. Before I leave for any tour,he talks to me on how I should approach the trip,what difficulties I might face. He taught me the importance of the stock ball and how to use variations to pick up wickets. Ojhas success in the IPL makes him an obvious candidate for Indias World T20 squad but hes not thinking about that yet. I was very pleased when I found myself in the T20 probables. If I keep bowling the way I am,I could get a look into the final list as well,but right now I am focussing only on the IPL and helping the Chargers extend their winning streak, he says. After Saturday nights efforts,Ojha made sure he obliged every autograph and photograph hunter in the crowd around him,even as Laxman and Gilchrist looked on from a distance. These were his five minutes of fame,but for now,he seems intent on extending his time in the spotlight.
