Remember David Jude Johnson — the stocky slinger from Karnataka who arrived on the international scene in 1996 and was even billed as India’s fastest bowler? However, it wasn’t long before he slipped back into oblivion.

Thirteen years later, Johnson, 38, is still looking to bowl quick, notwithstanding his ageing shoulders. He might be the oldest buy in the Karnataka Premier League, but that doesn’t bother him — he’s happy as long as he is playing. But there are a few grudges regarding his brief international career that lasted just two Tests.

“Back then, I was the quickest in the country. I certainly deserved more than two Test matches. I took the wicket of Michael Slater in the first Test (at Kotla) and even had Ricky Ponting caught off a bouncer but umpire Peter Willey didn’t give him out. To trouble Ponting with pace was quite an achievement and yet I wasn’t persisted with. I got just one more Test after that, in South Africa. So I played two matches against the two best sides in the world before being dumped. If I was erratic, where were the coaches and seniors in the team,” he says.

Johnson says he probably played at the wrong time, for there were too many contenders in Karnataka for a Team India berth. “Not many people were happy that seven Karnataka players were playing for India. By that time, Anil (Kumble), Rahul (Dravid), Venkatesh (Prasad) and Srinath had cemented their place. We youngsters had to suffer. (Dodda) Ganesh, Sunil Joshi and I were eased out,” he says.

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