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Irfan Pathan: that extra dimension seems to be taken for granted where he is
concerned
© Getty Images
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Rahul Dravid's ecstatic celebration upon affecting the run-out of
Inzamam-ul-Haq told a tale. Even with eight wickets down, and the asking
rate spiralling out of control, no one in the Indian camp took victory for
granted until the big man was accounted for. Dravid, and several others,
would have vivid memories of Ahmedabad last April, when Inzamam presided
over the pursuit of 316, stroking the winning run off the last ball of the
match. And it wasn't as though that was a one-off either, with Inzamam
having played his part in a staggering 39 wins over India.
To be fair, he had huge dollops of good fortune this evening, with both
Irfan Pathan and Harbhajan Singh having excellent leg-before shouts turned
down and a couple of chances not quite going to hand. In spite of that,
his ability to play himself in, gauge the nature of the pitch and
accelerate unhurriedly sent a few frissons of worry through the Indian
ranks, and it was almost inevitable that it would be a misjudgment of a
run that cost him his wicket.
Despite wickets falling regularly at the other end, Inzamam's 79 had
provided oxygen for the embers of hope. His tussle with the two
offspinners was fascinating to watch, and after initial diffidence, both
Ramesh Powar and Harbhajan were punished as the soft and almost
soapy ball became harder to grip.
Till he went for 21 in his final two overs, Powar had a superb outing. His
ultra-slow loopy bowling frequently confused and confounded, and there was
enough sharp turn to keep most batsmen guessing. His rotund figure may
suggest that beer, rather than Gatorade, is his energy drink of choice,
but there's no questioning the extra dimension that he has given the team
since seizing his chance in Pakistan.
That extra dimension seems to be taken for granted where Irfan Pathan is
concerned. The wicket of Imran Farhat gave him 100 in ODIs, in just his
59th game. The economy-rate is below five, and he gets a wicket every five
overs, and yet there are those who would rather label him a
bits-and-pieces cricketer. While his ability to turn a game with crisp
shotmaking cannot be ignored, it's hard to keep count of the number of
times he has come up with a big wicket or two in his opening spell when
called upon.
Greg Chappell isn't an easily excitable man, but when he talks about
Pathan, his eyes light up. On days such as this, and they come around
often, you can see why. His first two overs went for 15 as India started
the defence of 270 poorly, but once he zeroed in on Farhat's leg stump, he
was immense. The support from Ajit Agarkar, a seasoned campaigner who has
rediscovered the ability to swing the ball away at lively pace, and
Sreesanth was also exceptional, ensuring that the slow bowlers came on
with the chase already an improbable one.
Unlike yesterday, the bowlers also had runs to play with. While Dravid's
polished 92 was further evidence of how he thrives on the pressures of
leadership, the most welcome sign for India were the digits next to
Virender Sehwag's name on the scoreboard. Having failed to create any
impression in the series against England, it was imperative that Sehwag
answer one of the searching questions being asked about a side that has
now won 18 of 24 since Dravid was appointed captain.
With Sachin Tendulkar missing, a fair few opening combinations will be
tried out, but when he's on his game like he was today, it's hard to see
beyond Sehwag for one of the slots. There was the odd alarm against the
very competent new-ball pairing of Mohammad Asif and Rana Naved-ul-Hasan, but once
he found his groove, Sehwag played with composure and aplomb - the loft
for six off Abdul Razzaq was a none-too-gentle reminder of the destruction
that he can wreak when in the mood.
The innings lost momentum towards the end, with Naved bowling a fine spell
full of subtle changes of pace. Mahendra Singh Dhoni played with great
intelligence for his 59, but the disdainful manner in which Yuvraj Singh
thwacked 24 from just 10 balls made you wonder whether he would have been
a better option at No.3. On a pitch where the vast majority of strokes
were mistimed or heaved off the square, Yuvraj's wondrous sense of timing
stood out, and the three fours and a six off Asif's penultimate over
transformed a competitive total into an imposing one.
Despite sparks of genius from Inzamam, it was more than enough, and the drawn
series a fair reflection of the capabilities of two teams that will expect
at least a semi-final place in the Caribbean next year.
Dileep Premachandran is features editor of Cricinfo