Azhar's resurrection the silver lining

Things were looking bleak as India started their second essay and so was it for Vamsi, the one and only Azharuddin fanatic in the CricInfo corporate box. It seems as though a Biblical resurrection took place at the Chinnaswamy Stadium on Sunday as Azharuddin took centre stage in India's second innings.

All through the first half of the day's play, Vamsi was battered by the criticism and the statistical confrontations on Azharuddin. He took all that was bombarded at him in his stride, including the prediction that Azhar would be out cheaply in the second innings.

Vamsi did what he knew best - pray from the bottom of his heart. He hoped that Azharuddin would reply for him. And Azharuddin indeed let his willow do the talking.

Azharuddin made his intentions clear as soon as he came in by caressing one through mid wicket. The smile on the contented face of Vamsi had to be seen to be believed.

Soon all nine of us were on our feet as Azharuddin flourished in the company of Tendulkar, Kaif and later Kumble. He was starting to prove his detractors wrong. Confidence personified, he was easily the only Indian who took the attack to the South Africans and reached his fifty by lofting Boje over extra cover fence for a six.

But Azharuddin did not stop there as he unleashed an array of shots to plunder Donald, Hayward and Boje for seven boundaries, thereby postponing the inevitable. The cover drive off Boje was the most exquisite.

There was definitely a spring in our step as we walked out of the stadium at the end of day four, confident that Azharuddin would save the match.

Well, as events proved on Monday morning, this was not to be. All the same, after being in the wilderness for eight months, Azharuddin seems to have resurrected himself. So at least there seems to be some reason for Indian cricket to rejoice.