There were dark clouds over the Chinnaswamy Stadium on Wednesday, but Lakshmipathy Balaji was looking at the silver lining behind them. The Tamil Nadu seamer says he’s keen to show off his new, improved bowling — quicker and sharper than ever before — in the corporate tournament this week.

For a player whose cricketing exploits have been confined to memory — Balaji carries DVDs of the 2004 tour of Pakistan, and watches them often on his laptop — he believes he’s now in even better shape than he was in that memorable series. “I’m feeling very fit now. There’s a good energy with the ball and I can work more pace. I’m looking forward to playing lot of matches,” he says.

The seamer had to recently deal with a spilt webbing on his bowling hand while playing first-division matches in Chennai, but he calls the injury negligible considering how long he’s been on the sidelines due to a succession of problems. “The comeback has been tough. It takes a lot of effort to play at the highest level. That’s what it takes to make it in international sports. In terms of your mental strength and your fitness, you should be ready for the grind,” he says.

“I just wanted to play cricket again, and make use of whatever chances I got. It was a long process but my patience paid off. I’m just trying now to be more consistent and to stay at this level for a longer period. I have again reached the place everyone dreams of, and now I have to develop my skills more to perform there for a long period of time,” he adds.

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