Being part of dressing room was an education: Chopra

<div class="section1"><div class="Normal"><span style="" font-weight:="" bold="">NEW DELHI:</span> Sporting history is filled with instances of career and life being transformed forever following some rare achievements. The emotion that a sporsperson goes through on such occasions is something that he carries in his veins right through his career.<br /><br />Aakash Chopra had a taste of it when he was part of the Indian team that came close to winning its first series on Australian soil this month.It would have been equal to the 1976 series win in the West Indies.<br /><br />"It was a great experience. Being part of the Indian dressing room was an education in itself. We also did well as a team which made every moment''s stay there worthwhile," said the 26-year old Chopra, now back in Delhi and soaking in the experience.<br /><br />A relative new comer, Chopra''s role in India drawing the series -- a result that other countries had not achieved against the world champions in the recent past -- was no less valuable.<br /><br />With his resolute performance in what are considered the toughest batting conditions in world cricket, Chopra has very nearly solved Indian cricket''s perennial problem of the specialist opener. <br /><br />"It (batting in Australia) was different in every way from playing in India because of the pitches and the bowlers," Chopra said.<br /><br />"The kookaburra ball also does a lot than the SG ball we play at home. I learnt a lot from playing in those conditions, and it should make me a better player in the coming days," Chopra said.<br /><br />The right hander showed rare determination and concentration in battling the new ball in bouncy and seaming conditions. "I banked on playing one ball at a time," he said.<br /><br />"I told myself that I was good enough to be in the Indian team and so I can play at the highest level."<br /><br />Competition within the team might have helped him counter the competition from outside. For, while Chopra struggled for runs in the early tour matches, his teammate Sadagopan Ramesh was scoring them at will.<br /><br />But Chopra said he did not allow such negative pressures to bother him. "There was no pressure of such kind," he said. <br /><br />"I mean, there was pressure but not that kind. I did not think about what others did but concentrated on what I have to do. I wanted to utilise the chances that came my way, I think I did that."<br /><br />Yet, having provided the team with solid opening stands including two century partnerships, Chopra was disappointed that he did not convert the good starts he got into big scores.<br /><br />"Obviously, I am very disappointed. I stayed long hours at the crease but still could not get a big one. <br /><br />"But the seniors and other former players who were present told me not to worry too much and it was only a matter of time," he added.</div> </div>