Dismissing VVS Laxman in Nagpur Test was my pinch yourself moment, reveals Jason Krejza
12 years after that iconic performance against India in Nagpur, Jason Krejza revealed that his dismissal of VVS Laxman in the Nagpur Test was the ‘pinch yourself moment’ in his Test career. The Aussie has further added that Michael Clarke had suggested Ricky Ponting to trust in his ability.
There have been sadder epilogues to cricket careers, but none has probably encapsulated the harsh realities of this sport than former Tasmanian off-spinner Jason Krejza. An eight-wicket innings haul and a 12-wicket game was his introduction to Test cricket, that too against a home powerhouse like India, but as irony would have it, he could play only one Test after that before being booted out like he never existed.
But history will forever remember his first innings performance, even though he conceded 215 runs in the process, and the ball to VVS Laxman was the stuff that dreams were made of. Laxman, despite being one of the finest players ever against spin bowling, was undone by Krejza’s drift and the turn which beat his defence to crack his stumps down. Krejza might have been forgotten but it will take some amount of effort to forget the theatre that delivery left behind.
"I call it a fluke because I think it was a fluke like Warney's ball of the century was a fluke. In my whole career you could probably count them on two hands, those deliveries where everything just comes out perfectly,” Krejza told Cricket Monthly.
"It's really that 'pinch yourself' moment when I talk back over it with people. These guys were my heroes, watching them destroy spinners and destroy quicks all over the world, then all of a sudden I was there bowling against them and getting them out. It was a hard thing to feel like you belonged because these were the people you watched on TV. It was a great experience, incredible."
After spending the initial years under the shadows of Stuart MacGill, Nathan Hauritz and Beau Casson at New South Wales, he moved to Tasmania where Xavier Doherty was employed majorly in white-ball duties. Rising from there with good performances in the Pura Cup, Krejza made himself a solid entity but during the international debut, he found himself under severe pressure. But it was then Michael Clarke suggested Ponting employ his state teammate teammate more and all we know after that is history.
"At the start of the Test, I started getting taken apart a little bit because the Indians went quite hard at me. I didn't start doubting myself but those thoughts almost start creeping into your mind.
“But when Shane Watson got Murali Vijay, I remember hearing Michael Clarke and Ricky Ponting talking and Punter was going, What do I do?' and Clarkey just said, 'Mate, you've got to back your spinner, just bowl him'. When I heard that I was pretty sure I'm going to get a decent crack here to find my feet and keep bowling."
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