10 Pragyan Ojha facts that you should know

10 Pragyan Ojha facts that you should know: Pragyan Ojha is definitely the most promising left-arm orthodox specialist in the present Indian cricket team. Though, we saw Ravindra Jadeja take up that role and veteran Yuvraj Singh to an extent, but they are batting all-rounders and couldn’t deliver in the Test matches.

Ojha is someone who is brilliant with the flight and turn as well. Last year, his bowling action came under the scanner, but he soon underwent the corrective process and got himself cleared to returned to mainstream cricket in little time and without the otherwise created buzz. Pragyan Ojha has 113 Test wickets from 24 Tests with 7 five-wicket hauls and has a 10-wicket haul as well. He has also grabbed 21 wickets from 18 ODIs that he was a part of.

The Hyderabadi turns 29 today and here we have 10 Pragyan Ojha facts that you should know:

1. Ranji Trophy wonder: Pragyan Ojha can never forget his performance in the Ranji Trophy season of 2006/07. He picked up 29 wickets in just 6 matches at an excellent average of around 20.

2. Magical maiden ball: Ojha is the only bowler who got his maiden Test wicket on the very first ball that he bowled. In his debut Test against Sri-Lanka in 2009 Ojha caught and bowled T. Dilshan off the first ball in the Kanpur Test.

3. Terrific T20 debut: He stunned everyone in his debut T20I match against Bangladesh in 2009. Ojha was awarded Man of the Match for his match-winning 4/21 in 4-overs. But sadly he hasn’t played a T-20 international since 2010.

4. Muralitharan’s 800th Victim: Pragyan Ojha entered into the record book in an ignoble manner when he became Muralitharan’s 800th Test wicket. The Sri Lankan legend dismissed him in both innings of his last Test match.

5. Mohali Test (2010): The India-Australia Test, played at Mohali in 2010, might be famous for VVS Lasman’s unbeaten 73* and Ishant Sharma’s valiant 31, but you can’t overlook Pragyan Ojha’s contribution to it. He took 3 wickets in the match and also ensured India’s famous victory when the team still needed 11 runs to win after being 205/9. Ojha scored 5* from 10 balls and the 19-minutes stay at the crease helped India clinch the match.

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6. Inspiration: Pragyan Ojha considers Venkatpathy Raju, India’s former left-arm orthodox bowler, as the source of inspiration behind his entry into cricket. He has high regard for VVS Laxman as well. Co-incidentally, Ojha is the only Hyderabadi cricketer to have represented India in all 3 formats of the game.

7. Charisma at County Cricket: Pragyan Ojha excelled in county cricket too. He played for Surrey and took 24 wickets at 4 matches at an amazing bowling average of 13. His best bowling figure is 6 for 8.

8. Ojha’s best Test: This Test match is mostly remembered as Tendulkar’s farewell Test against West Indies in Mumbai in 2013, but Pragyan Ojha was absolutely magnificent in it. He got 2 five-wicket hauls in both the innings and finished the match with 10 for 89. Despite of this astonishing performance, Ojha has been out of the Indian Test team for more than 2-years now.

9. Test outside sub-continent: Ojha has already played 24 Tests and is associated with the Indian Cricket team for the last 6 years, but he is yet to play a Test match outside the Indian sub-continent.

10. Man of the Match on T20 debut: Pragyan Ojha is only the third Indian after S. Badrinath and Dinesh Karthik to have been adjudged Man of the match on his maiden T20 international debut for India.