It’s windy, and Akhtar is licking his lips

Minutes before, he was fooling around the pitch even as Indian captain Anil Kumble was studiously examining the surface. Standing across the breadth of the 22 yards he bounced a ball towards Kumble, who though taken by surprise, managed to just about catch it. It seems this was his way of checking the bounce of the pitch and make his finding known to the Indian captain. The bowler in Kumble wouldn’t have grudged the bounce but the Indian batting line-up would certainly be a bit bothered about the big broad smile on Akhtar’s face all through the net session.

He seemed to struggle with fitness in Kolkata,0 but the break between Tests has worked out well for the pacer. Pakistan’s Australian physio David Dyer gives his green signal to the Rawalpindi Express as he says he says, “he is in perfect shape and raring to go now.”

Coach Geoff Lawson, after watching Akthar is also upbeat. “About the pitch conditions I am not sure, but there are no injury worries at all so far. And my fingers are crossed that it remains the same tomorrow,” says the cautious coach who has suffered sight of his captain Shoaib Malik limp out of a football session in Delhi. Shoaib missed Kolkata and would even sit out for the Bangalore Test.

But the spring in Akhtar’s steps here after dragging himself post-hospitalisation in Kolkata means Pakistan moralometer has a high reading. Akhtar makes his point about his preparedness as he says, “I know it is a do or die game for me and for Pakistan. Being fit makes one confident and I am sure we have a chance to repeat our 2005 performance in Bangalore.”

Though Akhtar wasn’t around when Inzamam-ul Haq led his team’s series levelling effort at Chinnamswamy Stadium two years back, but he is aware of the importance of that famous win.

There are enough reasons to believe that this isn’t the usual Akhtar machismo. It is the excitement of a pacer, who is returning to Tests after almost a year, finally finding a surface where he can showcase speed.

After a satisfactory outing in Delhi, Akhtar on the opening days of the Kolkata Test seemed almost like a former tearaway. The drained out sight of a half-fit pacer with his weary eyes and flushed out face struggling to complete his run up drew empathy from the locals and embarrassment among the visitors. But despite the high humidity and temperature at Eden Gardens Akhtar bowled 36 overs — five more than India’s pace spearhead Zaheer Khan. To add to that the pitch in Kolkata was the sort that might force a pacer to approach the human rights activists.

Things in Bangalore promise to be different. Even if the slight greenish tinge disappears overnight the conditions might support the movement in the air and ball to seam around. The cool conditions will also see Akhtar managing longer spells. And that could be a problem for the Indian batsmen.

Since the time he burst on the international scene, Akhtar has been famous for that one deadly spell that can change a game in a matter of few balls. Statistics show that the reason for Akhtar’s early fatal blow to a new batsman is the big in swinging yorker. And with the likes of Mohammad Sami and Sohail Tanvir for company, Akhtar this will be his last chance to make a killing. And it wouldn’t be surprising that he might be whistling again at the end of the Test … “In the Bangalore, we are the bhai, we are the bhai.”

COOLING DOWN TIME

Pakistan players had some unwinding time since they landed in Bangalore on Wednesday. This is what they did:

•Shoaib Malik drove to the upmarket Koramangala area, watched Bollywood flick Jab We Met at a multiplex. Also dropped in at a restaurant that specialises in Pakistani and Afghani cuisine.

•Kamran Akmal and Salman Butt went to see Jonh Abraham-starrer, Dhan Dhana Dhan Goal at the same multiplex. Thursday, it was back to the nets.