I want to start from scratch, says Piyush Chawla

Making a comeback in Indian cricket is no easy task, no wonder Uttar Pradesh leg-spinner Piyush Chawla is treading very cautiously.

The player who got his international break on Tuesday after spending nearly two years in the wilderness, says he wants to start his career from the scratch.

“I am thankful to the selectors for showing faith in me. It’s a great opportunity to play against a team like South Africa in their conditions. I don’t have any goals right now and just want to start things from scratch,” he told DNA on Tuesday.

Chawla had lost his place in the Indian one-day team in 2008, his last international being against Pakistan in Karachi.

He has been picked for the five ODIs and a Twenty20 game against South Africa in place of Saurashtra’s left-arm spinner Ravindra Jadeja, who failed to impress in the many opportunities he got.

“I want to take it step by step and want to make every opportunity count. I don’t want to jump to any conclusion but just bowl well,” he added.

The Aligarh-born Chawla, who is in the list of 30 probables for the World Cup, doesn’t want to get into the ‘all-rounder’s’ debate. “I know there is a vacancy for the all-rounder’s slot in the Indian team. However, my first job is to take wickets. The selectors’ have shown faith in my bowling. Yeah, I have been scoring runs down the order but my priority is leg spin,” said Chawla.

Chawla was confident about his selection in the 16-member team for the limited overs series. “I have had a decent season. I did well in the touring game against Australia and Irani Trophy. I may not have got much overs to bowl in Ranji Trophy but did a decent job with the ball. Also, I scored some runs for my team — Uttar Pradesh,” he said.

For the record, Chawla has taken 14 wickets from six games and is the second highest scorer with 305 runs from nine innings for his state side with a ton and a half century against his name.
He, however, doesn’t want to get into comparisons with his contemporaries like Amit Mishra. “My aim is to get the best out of myself, instead of competing with others. I have been given a task and want to come out successful,” he signed off.

Team for Twenty20 and ODI series
MS Dhoni (C), V Sehwag, G Gambhir, S Tendulkar, V Kohli, S Raina, Y Singh, H Singh, Z Khan, A Nehra, P Kumar, M Patel, R Ashwin, Y Pathan, P Chawla, S Sreesanth