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Mongia wants to seize the moment and score heavily

By Staff

Dhaka, May 7 (UNI) If Team India is on a mission to redeem itself from the World Cup loss to Bangladesh, pugnacious left hander Dinesh Mongia wants to wash himself from the sins of not delivering when it mattered.

Talking to UNI here at the team hotel, Mongia said he was completely focused on the game.

''I just want to go out there and score,'' he said.

''It's a great feeling and a honour to be wearing the India colours. I want to try my level best,'' he added.

A fighter to the core this uncomplicated stroke maker did enough with the bat and ball for Leicestershire county to be in the reckoning for the World Cup. But he was ignored only to be picked for the current series after India's ignominous exit from the showpiece event at the Caribbean.

''The last time I was picked by the selectors I played my part.

But then you never know. I want to give my best shot this time, given a chance,'' he said.

Mongia always remained on the fringes and played four matches between September last year and March 2007 of which two were in South Africa where he played a Twenty20 match on Decemebr 1 and an ODI on December 3, 2006.

Asked if he saw the absence of the senior pros like Sourav Ganguly and Sachin Tendulkar as an added responsibility, he said, ''No I will take it as an opportunity for myself and I will use it.'' He has made at least three comebacks into the side and the most memorable was when he forced his way back into the World Cup squad in 2003, but after that he has been a journeyman for sometime before standing in for Carl Hooper for Lancashire and then blossoming with Leicester last year.

Having made his debut against Australia in 2001, Mongia showed all the promises of an all-rounder with a wide array of shots and slow left arm orthodox spin, but never really lived up to that billing consistently.

Hopefully, Bangladesh will change all that. As Mongia says, ''I don't want to do badly. I want to score runs.'' UNI

Story first published: Thursday, August 24, 2017, 15:53 [IST]
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