‘It’s all a matter of concentration’

Hanif, who watched the match on TV in his Karachi home, was disappointed to see the Indian opener get out when he did. ‘‘It was a wonderful innings, but I felt sorry that he missed out on scoring a world record. It’s not often that a strokemaker scores a treble, so it was very interesting to see him play in a controlled fashion. I feel sorry, though, that he ran out of luck.’’

This has finally ended the number of questions raised in Hanif’s mind about why no other Indian had touched 300 in the past. ‘‘There were so many, Sunil, Sachin who could have done it. When you are young, between 20-25, that is the time for such efforts. I still feel Sachin can get a world record.’’

So, coming back to the question, what does it take? ‘‘Select the right ball to hit and take it session by session’’, says Hanif. Obviously, he says, you can’t plan for 200 or 300. ‘‘Just not possible to do it that way. What is important is whether the batsman has the temperament to check himself when he is nearing 100. From then on it has be just step by step 130, 140 and then think about 150.’’.

Then on, he says, the battle is fought in the mind. And what’s needed are the powers of concentration. ‘‘Just keep concentrating, if you don’t do that you tend to play casually. This is where I feel Tendulkar’s role was vital for Sehwag. He kept egging him on to carry on.’’ The sun at the Multan Cricket Stadium was really beating down and the sweat dripping down the faces of the Pakistani fielders and bowlers said it all.

But Hanif believes heat, tiredness should never bother the batsmen. ‘‘When you are out there in the middle, the mind should be 100 per cent on the next ball.’’

And when you reach the landmark, the feeling compensates. ‘‘You feel on top of the world. Very few batsmen can get to that mark. You thank God because you are feeling so good.’’

Which bring Hanif back to Sehwag and the world record. ‘‘I remember my triple, I was happy that it helped save the game. But after a few days I felt sorry that I was short by 20 runs for the world record. Overall, though, you always feel satisfied.’’

Sehwag’s treble has given Hanif one more opportunity to propound his famous theory that only short statured men can play big knocks. ‘‘I knew that I was right’’, said Hanif, though he was probably overlooking the giant who currently holds the world record: Matthew Hayden.