Smile Please Balaji is back

Lakshmipathy Balaji’s famous 1000 watt smile will be back on display on the Indian cricket field.‘Bala’as he is fondly known made his way into the side after Munaf Patel flew back home due to injury.Incidentally Balaji played his last international match against Sri Lanka in 2005 at Dambulla.With a modified action that has worked well for him so far,it is heartening to see the smile back where it belongs.

Lakshmipathy Balaji made his ODI debut against the West Indies in 2002.He was baptized by fire going for 44 runs off four overs in a game that the Men-in-Blue lost to Carl Hooper’s men. But the turning point came in the series against Pakistan in 2003-04.Balaji swung the cricket ball well to ensure the Pakistani cricketers did not make the pitch their home. Also that famous six off Shoaib Akthar is still counted by cricket fans amongst famous cricketing memories.

But then came the time that every fast bowler dreads every time he bends his back to bowl. Balaji had played the Indian Oil Cup in Sri Lanka where India lost the final to the hosts. When he returned he had a career-threatening back injury for which he went under the knife, one that kept him out of cricket headlines for two years before he returned to play for the IPL finalists-the Chennai Super Kings.

Did someone say return of the King?Balaji sizzled for the SuperKings team taking the IPL’s first hat-trick and finishing with 11 wickets.The smile that had vanished for two years had returned. But Balaji did not stop there; he carried forward the momentum to the Ranji trophy. He took 36 wickets and went with his team-mates to the semi-final.The numbers kept him in the good books of the selectors and he earned a call up to the national squad profiting from Munaf Patel’s injury.

While he may not be playing the third ODI,Balaji must be happy to be back in the blues. With a lot of cricket coming up in 2009,including the IPL where he announced his return, Balaji knows that he has made it to the right place at the right time.All he needs to do is to keep bowling well and wipe the smiles off all the batsmen’s faces while keeping his.It is time to say cheese for Lakshmipathy Balaji.