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If
there is any bowler, who is making headlines after headlines in
sports-pages in the domestic cricket, it is the medium pacer from
Orissa – Debashish Mohanty. The mild-mannered medium pacer
became the cynosure of all eyes on 25th January at the
Maharaja Bir Bikram Stadium at Agartala. The on-going four-day
Duleep Trophy league match between East zone and South zone saw
Mohanty doing an Anil Kumble. Yes, in one of the rarest exhibition
of magnificent fast bowling in domestic cricket, Mohanty grabbed all 10 wickets
of the South’s innings. Mohanty’s staggering figure was 19
overs, 5 maidens, 46 runs and 10 wickets.
Mohanty
has been in fantastic form this season. Prior to this game,
Mohanty, bowling with his characteristic enthusiasm came up with a
figure of 6- 59 in the first innings against North zone at
Guwahati’s NFRSA Stadium. One must say that he must have
impressed the two selectors who were watching the game –
T.A.Sekhar and Sanjay Jagdale. Although, East zone lost the match
but Mohanty’s effort couldn’t be overlooked.
This
season Mohanty is bowling with a refreshing attitude and his
insatiable desire for more and more wickets is transforming him
into a brilliant bowler. Led by Mohanty’s career best figure of
6-52 in the Ranji Trophy against Bengal, Orissa over-whelmed
Sourav Ganguly’s team.
However,
Sourav must be pleased to see the 24 year old from Bhubneshwar
back to his best. It was the same man who was instrumental in
winning the Sahara Cup in 1997 at Toronto when Sourav first led
India. Along with the rookie Harvinder Singh and captain Ganguly,
Mohanty had made life miserable for the Pakistani batsmen in a
condition tailor made for swing bowlers. Infact, there were some
spells when Mohanty was unplayable and particularly the Pakistani
opener Saeed Anwar was baffled most. Anwar was unable to fathom
whether the ball was in-swinging or out-swinging due to
Mohanty’s unorthodox action.
Mohanty,
who is a junior officer with National Aluminium company, has
unfortunately, not been regular with the national team due to his
inconsistency. There is not an iota of doubt that Mohanty can be a
devastating proportion, where conditions are conducive for swing
bowlers. At the risk of sounding exaggerated, he is the best swing
bowler in India.
If
India has the horses for courses policy a la Australia, then
Mohanty must have been a certainty on the tours abroad. He toured
Australia in 1999-2000 season but got least opportunities.
Mohanty,
who made his Test-debut way back in 1997 at Sri Lanka at SSG, has
a keen desire to be regular with the National squad. His idol is
Javagal Srinath. For a brief period he was termed as “Next
Srinath” by his team-mates.
Mohanty
may not have played enough matches for India as he would have
liked to, but he has made a world of difference to his state team.
He was the first cricketer from Orissa to play in the national
team and it was his sheer influence that likes of Sanjay Raul and
Shiv Sundar Das got their chances to play for India. So, it was
only in the fitness of the things when Orissa captain Shiv Sundar
Das said that “they are carrying the legacy of Debashish
Mohanty”- after his team’s victory over Bengal in the Ranji
Trophy match.
For
the upcoming series against Australia, he might not be given a
chance, despite his tremendous effort because India’s weapon
will be spin. But, after that India will tour Zimbabwe and South
Africa in coming months, and Mohanty’s services will be just
more than handy on those tours.
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