“Was down with fever, was very low” - Pragyan Ojha relives Mohali Test triumph on 11th anniversary
Former India left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha has revealed that he was down with fever and was not feeling great when he went into bat in the 2010 Mohali Test against Australia.
The 2010 Mohali Test between India and Australia ended in dramatic fashion on this day 11 years ago. Ojha was unbeaten on 5 off 10 balls as VVS Laxman’s unbeaten 73 guided India to a famous one-wicket win.
Reliving the dying moments of the pulsating Mohali Test, the 35-year-old told Sportskeeda:
“When I walked into the ground, I was not well. I was down with fever and so I was very low. But the moment I went into the middle, I started speaking to VVS Laxman and Suresh Raina. Suresh was also there because Laxman bhai had a very bad back spasm. He could not walk, so running was something very far-fetched.”
#ThisDay in 2010 - On a dramatic final day of Mohali Test between India and Australia, the stylish batsman @VVSLaxman281 managed to see India home with a thrilling one-wicket win.
How many of you remember this moment? https://t.co/DyEvvM0bPk
Ojha added that the Mohali encounter was like a normal Test for the first four days but became special because of the way Laxman fought and took India over the line. He said:
“One of the incidents that really made a lot of difference in my life was the Mohali Test against Australia. It was a normal Test to begin with, but when it came to the fifth day, the end of the Test became very special, with the way VVS Laxman was fighting, irrespective of (us) losing lot of wickets during that chase.”
Coming into bat at no.7, with India having lost half their side for 76, Laxman scored 73 off only 79 balls, hitting eight fours during his sublime knock.
“It meant a lot to be contributing with the bat” - Pragyan Ojha on Mohali knock
#OTDin2010: @VVSLaxman281 leads India to historical Test win against Australia | @pragyanojha narrates the Mohali miracle https://t.co/DKzeoVT9rn
Although Ojha scored only five runs in the chase, he occupied the crease for 19 minutes and allowed Laxman to finish the game. The former cricketer recalled:
“We needed somewhere around 216 to win and we had lost all our important wickets. With a lot of courage, Ishant Sharma batted really well with VVS Laxman and they could take us very close to the chase. Unfortunately, Ishant got out, which we felt he was not out actually. Had there been DRS, things would have been different.”
He added that, being a bowler, he was pleased to contribute with the bat in the historic win. Ojha concluded:
“I think that would be one of the historic Test matches for me. As a bowler, I have bowled and got a lot of wickets for my country and my state. But when you talk about batting, that is a different job I was doing with a lot more responsibility. It meant a lot to be contributing with the bat. So yet, it was a historic Test match for us.”
Set to chase 216, India crumbled to 124 for 8 before a ninth-wicket stand of 81 took India to the doorsteps of victory.