Dhoni passes the Test

When he walked out at Iqbal Stadium today, India were five down for 281, their top five specialist batsmen back in the pavilion, a follow-on to save, Akhtar8217;s pace scorching the turf. All that Dhoni had was a reputation as a player who could hit the ball hard 8212; that, and loads of confidence.

8216;8216;I always like to be myself, whatever the situation,8217;8217; he had told this paper before the tour. And that8217;s precisely what Dhoni did, with no mean success, as Pakistan8217;s entire display of aggression and skill was bested by a passionate, authoritative batting display.

India had squandered the advantage they8217;d had when Dravid and Laxman were in the middle, to the extent that it had become necessary for somebody to take the challenge back to the hosts. Dhoni was the perfect man for the job. He began his assault with a massive pull of Shoaib Akhtar that landed in the stands.

As he kept hitting, the Pakistani frustration kept building and the sledging began in right earnest. On one occasion Kaneria walked up to Dhoni after each delivery to engage in a verbal duel. After two such lectures Dhoni lofted the leg-spinner over long-on, the ball almost clearing the stands.

The deed was done, sledging got pushed into a corner and Pakistan began to take Dhoni more seriously.

It8217;s no secret that for this Indian team players like Dhoni or Sehwag serve two key functions; one is the accumulation of runs, the other the ability to change the direction of the game in a few overs. There was a time when India were scoring at around 2.5 runs an over; by stumps, India were touching five runs an over.

The third function is the effect of the first two, the way the confidence spreads through the dressing room. That much was acknowledged by Dravid, who called it 8216;8216;one of the best counter-attacking innings I8217;ve ever seen8217;8217;.

Dhoni8217;s innings was in stark contrast to all that had preceded it today. First, Laxman perished on 90, then Dravid 8212; who, till his dismissal today, had been on the field every playing minute since the First Test began 8212; duly got his century but was run out in uncharacteristic fashion.

The wheels were beginning to come off, four wickets fell for 22 runs. Sachin was given out in bizarre circumstances; the ball from Shoaib did hit his arm but the hand was off the bat so he was not out. Yet he chose not to wait for the umpire8217;s verdict.

The wobble could have been worse, of course; India had only five specialist batsmen and all five were back in the dressing room, leaving Dhoni and Pathan to face a rampant Pakistan attack.

After seven deathless, futile days of cricket, this series for the Allianz Cup finally woke up today. And how: A day of riveting cricket, the momentum swinging back and forth, glorious batting and furious bowling, the sheen of experience and the raw power of youth.

In short, India-Pakistan cricket at its best.

India are not out of the woods yet. A few quick wickets tomorrow, another Afridi scorcher and India batting last on an unpredictable track 8212; anything could happen. Welcome back, cricket8217;s glorious uncertainties.