2nd Test: Ish Sodhi's 80-year-old grandmom prays for his success

Kolkata, Sep 29: Gurdip Kaur Sodhi is now 80 years old. She is a resident of Mohali. For the last couple of days this old lady, a former school teacher has become the centre of attraction in Mohali. The reason is simple. She is the grandmother of New Zealands leg-spinner Ish Sodhi.

Ind-NZ series schedule

Gurdip, speaking over phone on her grandson from Mohali on Wednesday (September 28) said, "Sodhi called me on 14th September and asked to pray for him while I will be playing in India. And that is why when Sodhi will play each Test in India we will go to Gurdwara and pray for him."

The 80-year old lady is however aware of her grandson's recent performance. She said, "He had an impressive bowling in Kanpur Test. I pray that he also gets success in Kolkata Test."

The parents of Ish, Rajbir Singh Sodhi and Simrat Sodhi had settled in Auckland 19 years ago with their cricketer son and daughter Sirat. But none of them have forgotten their roots and their grandparents. Ish had already met his grandmother at a hotel in Chandigarh during the World T20 earlier this year in March.

Incidentally, the Kiwis, in spite of having arrived in Kolkata on Tuesday evening, did not train on Wednesday. Rather they had planned to visit Mother Teresa House and a few other places in Kolkata.

But being ambushed in a huge rush the team was forced to return to the hotel. A section of the players also had gone for shopping and they also had to rush back to hotel.

Coach of New Zealand, Mike Hesson however, looked optimistic that his boys will offer more stiff resistance to Indian bowling in the second Test, starting at the Eden Gardens from Friday.

He said, "We were able to force India to play on the fifth day at Kanpur. And that has been the positive side I have drawn before we take on them in the second Test."

India won the first Test in Kanpur by 197 runs. The third and final Test is in Indore from October 8.

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