Balaji on bouncing back from injury

There are many reports about what you did during your recovery phase. What exactly did you do, both with rehabilitation and with your action?
It was Osteitis Pubis. It was in the part of the abdomen that connects four muscles. When you get this injury the region gets inflamed. The first step, and probably the main one, in overcoming this injury is taking rest. I took about three-and-a-half months' rest. I didn't do any running, or anything that involved splits - I just did rehabilitation in Ramji and Kannan Pugalendi's clinic in Chennai. The work with my action came much later, after the rehabilitation, and then I worked with Dennis Lillee. He once had the same problem. He said that jumping out [falling away to the left at the end of the delivery stride] was the cause of the problem. In that sense I did not have to make major changes to my action. The delivery stride is the same and the release position is the same. I was a bit twisted in my action, and the only thing I needed to do was make sure I was not jumping outside [to the left] in my delivery stride.

Since it could have been a career-threatening injury, how did that affect you?
These sort of injuries are now so much a part and parcel of a sportsman's life. It was quite a major injury and I accepted the challenge before me. I always thought that once the injury was diagnosed and I did my bit I would be back to my same old bowling.

Were you nervous making an international comeback after a year?
Actually I had performed well before that match. In the Duleep Trophy against North Zone I had bowled well with Virender Sehwag, Akash Chopra and Gautam Gambhir in the opposition. I thought I bowled really well in that match, and the confidence I got from that took out some of the pressure on me during my comeback. I'm the sort of person who does not think to myself, `this is the main match, this is where I have to perform.' I just play my cricket. I want to be natural. I want to give my best and not think about the results. That will come in the future. I just want to play, that's all.

The result was excellent. Were you a bit surprised at how well you did?
The results were very good in that it was my first five-wicket haul. But, if it was in a match India had won I would have been very happy. On the last day we didn't get a breakthrough when we needed it. When the team needed it I was not able to breakthrough. In that sense I would not say my performance was a very big thing. It will definitely help me find my rhythm.

You were given the new ball in the second innings. Was that a confidence booster?
Yeah, definitely. The new ball always swings a little bit, and that helps you get an early wicket. I always like to bowl with the new ball, but Zaheer [Khan] is one of the best fast bowlers India has produced. After Kapil Dev and Javagal Srinath ... The team management decided to give me the new ball because I could bring the ball in to the left-handers.

How difficult was it sitting out and watching India play on television?
The toughest part in my life has been sitting out and watching matches. For any sportsman to be totally out of his profession, his passion, is very difficult. What was really disappointing was that I could not even bowl in the nets at that time. If I was left out of the Indian team on performance I can accept that - at least I can play domestic cricket and strive to get my place back. In that sense injury is the worst thing that can happen to a sportsman. You accept that you have to work hard to be fit - and be balanced in terms of diet and training - but injury is the worst thing.

In the early part of my injury it was very difficult, because I could not train or bowl, and just had to watch India playing in the Champions Trophy. It is quite difficult when someone takes the one thing you are passionate about away from you for three months. In my life I have never been away from bowling for such a long time. I hope such a thing never happens to me again.

Who did you speak to about dealing with your layoff?
I spoke to Rahul, Anil and Dennis and they said I should think about the long career ahead of me, not the short-term. Injuries are in terms of months, but careers are a matter of years, and when I thought of it that way this [the injury] looked very small to me. That's what I stored in my mind. I kept telling myself this was just a small period, that I was only 23, and that my whole career was ahead of me.

And when did things improve?
After four months I started bowling, and that was a big, big relief. The moment I got the ball back in my hand was a big relief. I thought to myself, `I can bowl again.' In terms of confidence it was a big boost, and I was raring to play a match. Then came the Challenger Trophy, and other domestic matches, and I graduated slowly in terms of rhythm.

During that difficult phase did you think back to your debut in Baroda, where you were hammered for 44 runs in 4 overs?
I had a lot of thoughts. Lot of thoughts go through your mind in a difficult period. I thought about Baroda because that was one of the things that changed my mindset. I made sure I would spend at least six hours working - doing whatever I was allowed, whether upper-body strength training in the gym, or pool work. That workout really helped me get my mindset right and think about my aspirations at that time.

Did it help that you were making your comeback against Pakistan, a team you already had success against?
I was disappointed at missing out playing against Australia, because I wanted to test myself out against the top team in the world. But my mentality was very good before this Pakistan series. Domestic cricket really helped me get my bowling confidence back. If it was not for that I may have come straight back into international cricket and my rhythm would have been totally different. Playing against Pakistan, the competitiveness and pep are always high. It's a case of being always on in terms of attitude. The intensity is always so high.

A year after the Pakistan tour have you come closer to understanding why you were so popular when you toured?
I didn't have a clue then and I don't now. That six against Shoaib Akhtar was a big thing in my popularity.

Are you disappointed that Shoaib Akhtar has not come on this tour? You could have hit a few sixes ...
[Laughs] You should ask the batsmen that.

But seriously, you've done well with the bat ...
I don't think too much of my batting. I just want to contribute little bit. I want to do what I can - and sometimes 10-20 runs could contribute to a team victory. Whoever the bowler is, I just need to try and help someone build a partnership, or score some quick runs.