Dodda Ganesh calls it 'a dream' to have bowled with Srinath for India

Former Karnataka pacer Dodda Ganesh has called it a dream to play alongside Javagal Srinath in the Indian Cricket Team. Speaking exclusively to Sportskeeda, the 46-year-old said his former Karnataka teammate Javagal Srinath was like an idol for him.

“It was my dream to bowl alongside Javagal Srinath while playing for India. Right from his under-19 days he was the ideal bowler according to me. He was like my idol,” Dodda Ganesh said

“I made my debut in Cape Town, and in the second innings, I had an opportunity to bowl with Javagal Srinath because Venkatesh Prasad had fever. Both of us took a wicket each in the first four overs. I took Gary Kirsten’s wicket, and that was very memorable for me,” Dodda Ganesh added.

Steaming in to bowl. ಹೆಂಗಿದೆ ನನ್ನ action ? #Nostalgia pic.twitter.com/yyBihqoXj0

— ದೊಡ್ಡ ಗಣೇಶ್ | Dodda Ganesh (@doddaganesha) May 13, 2020

The Bengaluru-born fast bowler also believes that playing with the famed Karnataka bowling attack of the ‘90s only helped him improve as a bowler. While he admits that the competition for places was very high at the time, Ganesh believes that sharing the dressing room with the likes of Javagal Srinath and Venkatesh Prasad taught him a lot.

“It was challenging and there was competition for places. Bowling with Javagal Srinath, Venkatesh Prasad, etc helped me learn a lot. They were playing with the Indian team at that time and they had a lot of experience,” Dodda Ganesh told us.

“Whenever Srinath and Venkatesh Prasad were playing, I was on the bench. But at least, as the twelfth man, while watching them play, there was a lot to learn. How to bowl against different opposition and in different conditions was challenging,” the former India international added.

Dodda Ganesh in the Indian dressing room during his first tour of South Africa (Image credits: Twitter)

Having made his Ranji Trophy debut in the 1994/95 domestic season, Dodda Ganesh soon impressed national selectors with his performances and made it to the Indian cricket team a couple of years later at the age of 23.

The pacer, however, was unable to make the best of the opportunity, as he was left out of the team after playing 4 Tests and the solitary ODI. The Karnataka pacer would continue to impress on the domestic scene, including ending the title-winning 1998/99 season as the top wicket-taker in the competition.

The national call-up would never come though, and Dodda Ganesh called time on his celebrated domestic cricket career after the 2004/05 season having picked up 365 first-class wickets, paving the way for the likes of Vinay Kumar and Abhimanyu Mithun to lead the Karnataka pace attack.

"I think I played international cricket too early": Dodda Ganesh

Looking back at his short-lived international career, Dodda Ganesh believes that he could have fared better if he had been brought into the national side, a little later in his career. At 23, the fast bowler from Karnataka believes he did not have the maturity to ensure that he sustained a longer international career.

“I think I played international cricket too early. I first played at the age of 23. I didn’t have enough experience at the time, and that was a drawback. After that I had a couple of good years in domestic cricket. Maybe if I had played later, after the age of 26, I might have matured enough to sustain a long career,” Dodda Ganesh told us.

With the legends #NewProfilePic pic.twitter.com/D40ShPGjna

— ದೊಡ್ಡ ಗಣೇಶ್ | Dodda Ganesh (@doddaganesha) May 22, 2020

Since retiring from the game in 2005, Dodda Ganesh has gone on to coach the Goan Ranji team, in addition to forays into politics and an appearance in the fourth season of the Kannada version of reality TV show, Big Boss. The former Karnataka pacer has also served as the chief selector of the Karnataka team.