da brdice： If bygone generations of Indian fans were openlyenthralled by – and secretly coveted – an unendingline of Pakistani pacemen, so too will this generationof Pakistani fans come to appreciate and marvel at thecurrent generation of Indian batsmen
da dobrowin： The Verdict by Osman Samiuddin in Kolkata10-Sep-2007
Rahul Dravid continued his run-spree against Pakistan with another magnificent century© Getty Images
If bygone generations of Indian fans were openlyenthralled by – and secretly coveted – an unendingline of Pakistani pacemen, so too will this generationof Pakistani fans come to appreciate and marvel at thecurrent generation of Indian batsmen and envy them. Ineach case, the enchantment, the fascination has been aderivative as much of their wondrous skills as aglaring paucity of similar resources.Who, for instance, in the Pakistani line-up, can matchthe sheer ballast of Virender Sehwag? Against Pakistanin this series, Sehwag has pillaged runs. Today, withminimum foot movement and fuss, as his is wont, andmaximum hand-eye coordination and threat, as is hisnature, he cut and drove at will, usually audaciouslyand imperiously.Arguably Inzamam-ul-Haq, now at his peak, possesses themastery over conditions and bowling as SachinTendulkar once did. Tendulkar provided a brief glimpse of his skill,passing his 10,000th run and compiling a composed 40thTest fifty. But the one batsman, the glittering jewelin a lavishly studded crown, that Pakistan must cravefor the most is Rahul Dravid.Last year, when Dravid compiled that immense 270 atRawalpindi, Yasir Hameed, standing at point, dropped asitter on 71. Hameed confessed later, onlyhalf-jokingly but revealingly, that he was takinglessons in watching a master at work. Those two daysin Rawalpindi, the sun beat down relentlessly, muchlike Eden Gardens today. As much as the heat, Dravid can be sapping on opposition bowlers.Ball after ball he repels with a painstakingly,composed and studious defense, standing up straightand tall for anything short and crouching forward toswat any mischief in the bounce or movement for fuller-length deliveries. And just in case he still getsbeaten by either, he brings soft hands into play,killing off any unnecessary edges. On this base, hebuilds.His first boundary against Abdul Razzaq was special,leaning into a wide, good-length delivery and drivingthrough just wide of mid-off. To bring up his 19thcentury late in the afternoon, he saved his best. WhenMohammad Sami, beginning an energetic spell, pitchedwide, he got down on one knee to steer through thecovers. Next ball, to bring up the landmark, he leantdown on a ball drifting onto middle and, with astraight bat and a twinkle of the wrists, drovebetween mid-on and midwicket. Many batsmen,particularly from this part of the world, would haveput it squarer, with exaggerated and more supplewrist work, but not Dravid.When he got something short enough, he recoiled;crouch down, step forward then lean back, move andposition the feet wide enough for balance, and uncoila cut, late or early. For effect, to highlight theextent of his mastery perhaps, he nonchalantly pickedup a legspinner from Kaneria outside off-stump overhis head for six, a rare result of any Dravid shot.For much of the day, there was little Pakistan’smeagre resources could do but watch the masterclass,hoping maybe to pick up a tip here or there. They werecommitted in the field and although their bowlingcurrently is unlikely to be anyone’s object of envy,you can’t fault it for perseverance. Shahid Afridiadded an unlikely chapter to the story of his recentredemption, hurrying batsmen, mixing his spin and paceand running onto the pitch twice for added drama.Supported well by Razzaq and, towards the end of the day, by Sami, they made up for an understandably fatiguedDanish Kaneria.But most noticeable, and as a parting thought,consider this. Pakistan’s fightback in the finalsession occurred without Inzamam on the field andYounis Khan as stand-in. You can put it down tocoincidence, as something that just happens incricket, or you can conclude that Pakistan’s rewardsin the last session were the result of theiremancipation from Inzamam’s lethargy as a leader.Certainly the verve and visible enthusiasm with whichYounis ran around the field, marshallingfielders, setting fields and talking regularly, almostexcessively, to his bowlers, contrasted starkly withInzamam. Was his vibrancy infectious enough for theteam to respond in kind and haul back what could havebeen a desperate situation? Or was it justhappenstance that this team, which in any case hasdeveloped a will to fight, most memorably and recentlyin Mohali, did so with Inzamam off the field?
