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'When Javagal Srinath was out I told myself, 'Hey! This could happen now' '

Prithvi Anand in conversation with Henry Olonga after his memorable feat against India in the World Cup

The thing about Henry Olonga is he keeps bumping India off in big matches. In the one-off Test against the Indians at Harare last year, he took five for 70 in the first innings after his batsmen had squandered the advantage and returned to the hut for 180. It set Zimbabwe on to a path where victory emerged in a little over four days. In Sharjah last year, in the game just before the finals, Olonga took four Indian wickets for 46 runs and sent them hurtling to defeat. To top it all was Wednesday's effort at Leicester.

Just in case you're wondering what sort of experience Olonga has under his belt to actually pull it off again and again, it is time to remind each and everyone of us that this "flying" coloured cricketer of Zimbabwe has played only nine one-day internationals till date!

A day before the start of the Leicester game, coach Dave Houghton was confided in yours truly the fact that he wasn't entirely sure if he would play Olonga on Wednesday. Houghton, though, was quick to clarify he was not holding Olonga's lack of accuracy in one-dayers against him.
"It is only his extra pace, and bowling all those extra no-balls and wides, which is making me do a rethink on Olonga."

On the morning of the match, Houghton opted to play Olonga in the team. Still, the bowler clearly did not appear to be his captain's favourite. Just two overs into the game, Alistair Campbell had banished him to the countryside after he had sent a full toss, which managed to elude both batsman and keeper. Suddenly, the ball was lobbed back to him in the penultimate over of the day, and he did the rest.

After the mandatory press conference, Olonga stayed back for an exclusive chat at Leicester. Excerpts from the conversation:
The dismissal of Robin Singh must have perked you up?

Quite frankly, I thought it was a bump ball. But there was huge relief when Alistair caught it at short mid-off. I was quite happy to see the left-hander's back, since he is quite a huge hitter and the match was slipping away from us.

Do you think it was the turning point?

No, when Javagal Srinath was out I told myself, 'Hey! This could happen now'. India needed four or five runs and we were back in the game.

When Venkatesh Prasad came in to bat and you were running into bowl, were you nervous or simply telling yourself to do something special?

You see, when we knocked India over in Sharjah last November, just before the finals, I remembered how I had got Prasad out. He is a bit of a rabbit with the bat, just like me. I had bowled fast and straight to him and got him out. I did the same here, with the same result.

Did you expect your captain to give you the ball to you at that critical stage of the match?

Frankly, no. I had not warmed up and it came as a surprise to me. I think, even for Alistair it must have been a late decision.

You were not particularly accurate to start with in your two overs. Was it because the ball was new and swinging?

No, I think the run-up from that end was a little bumpy, and plus it was uphill. I am just like any other fast bowler who wants to have a good rhythm while bowling. From the other end, I didn't feel as if I was coming in nicely.

In that last over everything seemed to have fallen into place quite nicely . Your run-up, accuracy , pace …

Actually, I bowled within myself in that crucial over. I am a bowler who likes to bowl flat out. I am not happy in cutting down my pace. But given the situation we were in, I kept telling myself to bowl within myself, to ensure that there are no no-balls and wides.

Any other impressions about that particular over?

I think it was all in destiny. When I was marking out my run-up, my teammate, Stuart Carlisle, told me it was my chance to make history. That really inspired me.

Sachin Tendulkar and you have had a few intense encounters in the past. You got him out in Sharjah once and then he laid about your bowling in the Finals…

I think I have faced the other side of his bat in the past. I have faced his music. In a way, I felt happy he was not there to contend with. But with the kind of rollicking start India had, it did not make much difference, did it?

One believes you had a scholarship offer for music and drama from England before you turned to cricket full time?

Yes, I had, from the London School of Music and Drama. But I turned it down.

What kind of scholarship was it?

I guess I would have gone for music or theatrics. Anything.

Apparently, you were also a fine sprinter in your early days and your father wanted to turn you into a 100m sprinter for the Olympics?

Yes, it was a genuine ambition. For a while, we did think on these lines, but I think it was destiny which guided me towards cricket.

How come, despite your impressive record, you have played only in a handful of matches, both in Tests and one-dayers?

I think it will all change now. I have no complaints though. I had a good Test against India, and if you remember, I took 4 for 42 against Pakistan at Peshawar, which clinched the series for us last year.