Osteochondritis...

Talk about rotten luck! Last year I was all fit 'n raring to go even after breaking my nose during practice and they dropped me... This year, I'm back in the team and a bad knee forced me to play as fielder in the first match (that we won). At this point I must say that to play as a fielder after being a wicketkeeper thus far is so boring... I mean, I must've touched the ball a total of 5 times in the entire match! Barring touching it while passing it back to the bowler etc. When you keep wickets, you're in the thick of the action all the while, every single ball of the match.

"It's a tough job wicketkeeping, but I'd rather do nothing else but it." A thought I'd penned while in a pensive mood last year, but oh so true.

And now, a terrible blow - the orthopedist has diagnosed that I seem to be carrying an injury in the cartilage in my knee joint and can't play for at least 15 days. Osteochondritis, he says... Just growing old, says Tojo, our captain..!

The second coming...

Played my first match after 2008 - as a non-keeper... Had a bad knee and a fever, there was no way I could keep. Fortunately, Santosh - a newcomer, offered to keep and kept well. I had to play to make up the numbers... We took on MU Hostels yesterday afternoon and bowled them out for 98 - all the bowlers did well. We then made heavy weather of the target, but won by 1 wicket with 3 overs to spare. My role was restricted to fielding in the covers and mid-wicket and making a few stops! Feels terrible to play and not keep...

Resurrection...

Back to practice after a year's hiatus! Looks like I'll be in the team this year - the first match is on January 10. Started practice on Saturday, very tentatively, in the nets. The space for the keeper is severely shortened in the new nets (only 8 paces behind the stumps), which are otherwise very good. I'm keeping with the helmet on, even while standing back - can't afford yet another broken nose. On Saturday, I was finding it difficult to concentrate; guess I was low on confidence as well... Yesterday, got the first catch of this season - tickle from Raviraj off Rajesh Nayak. Nothing like a catch to boost the confidence, even if it is just a simple one like that. Got a few good collections too, but the nets is not a good place for the keeper. Can't wait to keep out there in the centre..!