Among the redeeming features of an unconvincing display by India against Zimbabwe at Harare yesterday was the sight of Mohammed Kaif walking in at No. 3. And though he top-scored for his side, the long-term significance was even greater.At 24, Kaif is the future for India, and has shown the temperament to be the successor to Rahul Dravid. With the scoring abilities and technique that surround his batting, and his success in that slot (see box), his readiness to come at one-down will solve a large part of Greg Chappell’s ears. The coach’s (in)famous shuffling is with one goal: to figure out what the Indian team would be without players like Sachin, Dravid and Sourav. Indications so far are that he has identified Sehwag (opener), Kaif (the anchor) and Irfan Pathan (possible all-rounder) as the three who need to contribute at a more prominent level. For Kaif, batting at No. five or six has always been a comfort factor. He last delivered in that position, in a partnership with Yuvraj Singh, when India defeated the West Indies at Colombo in the tri-series earlier this month. Kaif often talks about his being the ‘run-a-ball’ kind of a batsman and so feeling ‘‘very comfortable’’ batting lower in the middle order. ‘‘Whether we’re chasing or batting first, I’ve found myself attuned to that position,’’ he told this reporter in Sri Lanka. In the same breath, though, Kaif is aware of his role as a ‘multi-utility’ cricketer. Allied to this is his understanding of Chappell’s mantra, that senior players — and Kaif is one, at least in ODIs — must come out of their comfort zones.
