New and improved Balaji

CHENNAI: Lakshmipathy Balaji shied away from the camera and microphones when he made his comeback into bigtime cricket through Team Chennai in the IPL. He said his time had not come to speak to the media and he did not budge even when he took a hat-trick. But he broke his silence to speak about his injury, bowling action, career, his IPL experience and his future plans. Excerpts:

How difficult was it to bowl at the death in the final of IPL?

They had an easy target in the last over. Scoring eight runs from an over was not impossible. When Dhoni asked me to bowl the final over, I was confident of handling the pressure. In such a high-intensity game, bowling was not easy. Every moment was electrifying. I tried my best to turn the match in our favour, but I was unlucky.

What did Dhoni's say before the final over?

He did not give me any instruction. Dhoni just told me to do whatever I felt was the best. I didn't try to experiment and bowled my natural deliveries. The match was fought till the end and I thoroughly enjoyed it.

What is your view on Dhoni's captaincy?

He is a cool customer and has become a matured skipper. He has got nerves of steel and never shows his emotions on the field. I have learnt many things from him. Dhoni has been a great source of encouragement for me.

In Twenty20, where every ball is like a free hit to the batsman, as a bowler how do you strategise those four overs?

The format does not allow too much experimentation and I never tried to do anything exceptional. To me keeping a nagging length is important and if you consistently bowl on the off-stump with a proper field, batsmen will find it difficult to hit. Moreover, in a T20 match, where every ball changes the match situation, you need to adapt with the situation fast.

You had a long lay-off due to injury but made a decent comeback in the IPL. How does it feel now?

I just wanted to knock the door and I'm happy do get a platform like this. It feels great to play with international players after such a long break. I'm taking things slowly and looking forward to the next season. My rehabilitation took time. I've worked very hard and I'm trying my best to get ready for future battles.

How was the IPL experience?

I enjoyed each and every match. It gave me a huge mental boost. I'm happy to play a few matches for Team Chennai and share the experience with so many international greats after a long time.

You've changed your bowling action.

Yes, I did. My doctor Vijay Ranawat advised me to do so.