Tags:
Journalism of Courage
Irfan Pathan did just what he wasn’t supposed to while leading Baroda to an emphatic four-wicket win over Uttar Pradesh in the Ranji Trophy Super League match at home on Friday.
Sent back home from South Africa to concentrate on bowling and finding his rhythm back, Pathan once again shined with the bat to help his side chase UP’s target of 171 runs on the fourth day and win Baroda four points.
Most of the criticism that Pathan has received over the last one year — in regard to his poor bowling performances
— have had a lot to
do with the general perception that he’s concentrated more on his batting than delivering with the ball.
However, watching him hold fort for Baroda in this Ranji tie, he left spectators in no doubt that batting was something that has been coming to him just naturally. There were shots all over the field as Pathan smashed an unbeaten 82 in 100 balls before Baroda romped home. “I was really enjoying myself,” he said after the game.
Pathan blasted three boundaries and as many as six sixes as he plundered runs for his side under pressure. For the record, Baroda were struggling at 100/5 when the southpaw took charge.
The innings has once again put in shade the real importance of this encounter for the struggling cricketer. It was Pathan’s bowling, not batting that was supposed to take centrestage in this match. “My bowling was better in the second innings than the first. In the second innings, I was able to get good bounce and the ball was carrying well. Maybe, in the first, I wasn’t still settled,” Pathan said.
The left-arm medium-pacer is now looking forward to tour with Baroda to Tamil Nadu where they play their last league encounter of this Ranji Trophy season. “I am looking forward to that trip and hope to get better with every match,” he said.
Pathan is intent on playing as many matches as possible because he believes that bowling in matches is what will get him back his lost rhythm. “I have spent a lot of time bowling in the nets but it has not helped.
I have tried a lot of things but I feel, match practice is what
I should be looking at,” he said.
With Friday’s knock of unbeaten 82, Pathan hopes that there will be renewed confidence in him as well as for his team to ensure a good performance in the knock-out stages. Until then, it’s back to bowling at the nets.
Brief scores: Uttar Pradesh: 269 and 210 vs Baroda: 308 and 172/5 (Irfan Pathan 82, Pravin Kumar 2/47, Ratnesh Mishra 2/29).
