Pragyan Ojha is perhaps in the team only because Ravindra Jadeja is out because of a shoulder strain but on Thursday, the left-arm orthodox spinner made a strong statement with a five-wicket haul against West Indies. He dedicated his 5 for 40 to the retiring Sachin Tendulkar.
"It's a great feeling getting five wickets in a special Test match like this. When you get a five-wicket haul, it holds a special place for you. I would like to dedicate this haul to Sachin paaji. It is a special one. I am happy that I got this haul in his (Sachin) 200th Test," Ojha told reporters after the end of first day's play here.
Ojha said he did not mind his performance getting overshadowed by Tendulkar show. "This Test match belongs to Sachin paaji. It's a special one. We want him to get a lot of runs in this Test match. I don't mind my performance getting overshadowed," he said.
Ojha said the players were glued to their places when Tendulkar walked out to bat in front of the packed stadium. "Everybody is a fan of Sachin paaji. When he walked out to bat, everyone was just standing or sitting where they were. We want him to play as long as he could. Everybody wants him to get runs in this Test match," he said, adding the other Indian batsmen would also look to pile on the misery on the visiting bowlers.
Ojha feels he and Ravichandran Ashwin are bowling well in tandem. "I think, it's a great partnership. We understand each other well. I am happy that we have been able to execute the plans well. It's important that we are performing well for India," he said.
The left-armer said the lateral movement and bounce on the pitch assisted them. "There was bounce on the wicket. When the ball got a little older, it started turning a bit. So, it was all about following the basics and keeping things tight. Just bowling there and creating pressure," he said.