Related Links : India in Sri Lanka 2008/09 | Lakshmipathy Balaji | Munaf Patel
Tamil Nadu medium Lakshmipathy Balaji has been recalled to the Indian Team after a gap of three years. Balaji is going to replace Munaf Patel for the remaining three ODIs with the latter picking up a groin injury.
L Balaji, who is 27 now had played in 8 Tests and 29 ODIs before hit hard by a stress fracture in the back which had ruled him out of cricket for nearly three years. Balaji before that was a potent swing bowler for Team India and was instrumental in the One Day and Test Victories in the Pakistan Tour of 2004/05. He made his comeback into competitive cricket in the Deodhar Trophy followed up by the Indian Premier League where he had recorded a confidence-boosting hat-trick for his Chennai Super Kings team.
Balaji has been a different bowler in his comeback. He has come up with a shortish run-up and a reduced pace and just concentrating on doing the work with his fingers. His new action does look a bit silly the way he runs through but it seems to have been effective in rebuilding his professional career. He has picked up 36 wickets in the recently concluded Ranji Trophy matches and had done pretty well in the Duleep Trophy matches with both the tournaments proving his stamina to bowl long spells.
Balaji has already seen two major injuries in his short career – the first one a stomach injury and then the back injury which had really made him disappear out of public memory. Now he has earned his opportunity like a brave man battling the morale shattering hibernation period to find his place again in the Indian team!