Jason Krejza Sheds Light On Michael Clarke's Role In His 12-Wicket Haul On Test Debut

Former Australian spin-bowler Jason Krejza might have played only two Tests in his brief career, but he enjoyed a stellar debut. It was in Nagpur in 2008 that Jason Karejza made his first appearance in Tests and took eight wickets in India’s first innings, conceding 215 runs. However, as the spinner revealed, it wouldn’t have been possible without Michael Clarke.

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The real highlight of the innings was when Jason Krejza claimed the wicket of VVS Laxman in the second innings. The off-spinner delivered a flighted delivery outside the off-stump into the rough that sharply turned in to dislodge the stumps. During an interaction with ESPN Cricinfo, Krejza highlighted vice-captain’s Michael Clarke’s role in it.

The New South Wales spinner recalled that at the start of the Test, the Indian batsmen attacked him quite a lot. Even though he did not doubt himself, but thoughts began lingering into his head.

“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,” the off-spinner highlighted.

When Shane Watson plucked the scalp of Murali Vijay, captain Ricky Ponting and vice-captain Michael Clarke engaged making further plans. Clarke advised Ponting to stick with the frontline spinner and that is when the 37-year old found confidence in himself.

“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,” Jason Krejza added.

We set the fields for that, with quite a straight cover: Jason Krejza

Krejza went on to recollect that after tea on day four, the surface had plenty of assistance for spinners and realized if he can consistently deliver the ball on the rough, he could claim wickets. Jason Krezja himself could not believe the success he achieved and humorously called it a fluke.

“By that stage there was a little bit of rough, and I was thinking, ‘Right, I’ve got some assistance now, I can start trying to throw it out into the rough and let it spin.’ We set the fields for that, with quite a straight cover. 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,” he added.

Despite Krejza’s 12-wicket haul, India won the Test comfortably by 172 runs. Jason Krejza would go on to play only one more Test after that, accounting for 13 wickets in total. He has not played for Australia since the 2011 World Cup quarter-final in Ahmedabad, which the tourists lost.

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