London, Aug 5: Left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha has been picked in the national side for the ongoing Test series against England as a replacement for off-spinner Harbhajan Singh who is suffering an abdominal injury.

Back in the reckoning, Ojha, who has recently been contracted by county side Surrey, was quoted as saying by The Guardian, "I was already practicing for my Surrey stint and would have left [for England] in a week's time. This surprise India call-up means I would be leaving earlier than planned".

"At a time when there is no cricket being played [in India], all I could do was to practice hard and keep myself fit. I can't change what happened in the West Indies but what I can do now is give my best in England," he added. Ojha returned from India’s recent tour to West Indies without having played a game as leg-spinner Amit Mishra was given an opportunity ahead of him.

Ojha, who will again be vying for a place in the side with current squad member Mishra, is aware of the challenges ahead of him. "While it's a great opportunity for me, it's equally a challenge," observed the Hyderabad cricketer who last played a Test match against New Zealand in November 2010 in Nagpur. "It's a great responsibility, especially when England are doing so well. Spinners from both sides struggled in both Tests, which suggests conditions are not easy for the slow bowlers. From what I saw, I think patience and consistency would be key there. Once I reach England, I would talk to my teammates and analyse the conditions,” he explained.

Speaking about his forthcoming stint with county cricket, Ohja said, "Anil [Kumble] helped me get the Surrey contract.” He also revealed that Anil Kumble had correctly predicted his surprise call-up earlier this week. “He was telling me the other day to stay positive and practice hard. 'You are not in the team but you never know, you may get an unexpected call to join them in England.' I could not believe it when I actually got the call to join the team. I immediately rang up Anil and informed him that his prediction [had] come true," said the spinner who has claimed 42 wickets from 11 Test matches, all of which have been played in the subcontinent.