Ojha will fancy his chances in Australia

Pragyan Ojha will fancy winning his captain's trust and playing his part in the Test series against Australia at Melbourne, Sydney, Perth and Adelaide. The 25-year-old who bowls conventional left-arm spin was in excellent form in the Test series against the West Indies recently.

In the first Test at Kotla and on the last day of the third Test at the Wankhede he turned out to be the star taking six for 72 in 34.2 overs and six for 47 in 27 overs respectively. Off-spinner R. Ashwin was showered with accolades for his 22 wickets at 22.90 and a century, but Ojha's effort — 20 wickets at 22.50 — was equally admirable.

With 62 wickets in 14 Tests he has played in India, Sri Lanka and Bangladesh, Ojha has proved that he can be a difficult customer to deal with in favourable conditions that assist turn and offer bounce. He has plied his trade for almost eight years in first class cricket, sufficient enough to understand the significance of line, length, flight and spin and has taken 254 wickets.

Not in the scheme of things since the home series against New Zealand in late 2010, Ojha has grabbed opportunities that came in his way, especially when the national selection committee was seriously looking to deploy someone other than Harbhajan Singh as the leading spinner.

Both Ashwin and Ojha may not have faced searching examination in the short series, but they delivered with equanimity. Incidentally, Ojha has put an end to suggestions to Ravindra Jadeja's induction into Test cricket. Ojha's first litmus test in Australia will determine whether he has the potential to establish permanency in the traditional format of the game. He should consider himself lucky that he has been selected for the Test series in Australia where Indian left-arm spinners, with the notable exception of Bishan Singh Bedi (two tours between 1967-68 and 1978) and to some extent Ravi Shastri, have hardly made an impact.

But in the last two decades (after the 1992 series when Shastri and Venkatapathy Raju together accounted for 14 wickets) it's been a virtual blank for India's left-arm spinners in Australia. Four years ago (2007-08 series) Yuvraj Singh played at Melbourne and Sydney and bowled just two overs for 11 runs in the second innings at Sydney and seven years ago (2003-04) Murali Kartik played at Sydney and ended up with figures of 0 for 122 and one for 89. India did not have a left-arm spinner in 1999-2000.

Dismal picture

Facts and figures present a most discouraging picture for any serious practitioner of orthodox left-arm spin — whose stock delivery is the one that leaves the right-hander and for surprise variation, the arm ball that travels straight on in the direction of the arm — wanting to excel in Australia.

Except for Daniel Vettori (35 wickets in 11 Tests at 39.97) in recent times, no left-arm spinner after England's Derek Underwood (50 wickets in 14 Tests at 31.48 and between 1970 and 1980) has had a profitable outing in Australia.

Ojha has got the big break, a chance to face new challenges and pick up wickets in an environment that would be a far cry from the familiar sub-continent conditions.