With Pakistan captain Inzamam-ul Haq deciding to opt for hard and bouncy tracks for Tests against India, the tourists can worry less about leg-spinner Danish Kaneria’s googlies. Kaneria has been hailed as the next best thing to have happened to Pakistan after Abdul Qadir. Similarities in style apart, Kaneria is touted as a match-winner. Kaneria’s heroics in India early this year and his recent showing against England have only added to his confidence. In fact, the comparison to Qadir, and the treatment as a match-winner, gives Kaneria an amazing sense of confidence. ‘‘A spinner needs to be constantly told that he is the best. He has to be pampered and reminded that he is the match-winner. A good bowling effort automatically follows,’’ he told The Indian Express from Pakistan. Yet, he will not be Pakistan’s most dependable weapon when they host India for the three-Test series starting January 14. Shoaib Akhtar & Co. — riding on raw pace — are likely to spearhead the Pak bowling and that could see Kaneria being sidelined as the fourth or fifth bowler to balance the attack. Therefore, the leggie has further decided to once again keep his ‘mystery delivery’ on hold — which he has been threatening to unleash for some time now. Pak dominated England even after pundits wrote them off against the Ashes-winning outfit before the series started. ‘‘It is hard to describe the kind of confidence it (the victory) has given to Pakistan. They were coming here after beating the best team in the world and we had to take up the challenge,’’ he says. That effort, Kaneria says, will help Pakistan versus India. In return, Kaneria wants to celebrate his own birthday (January 16, during the first Test) in style, wanting to leave no stone unturned in ‘‘making it a day to remember.’’ He says that the Pakistanis are ‘‘keeping track of what the Indians have been up to’’ in recent times. ‘‘They look like a completely new outfit with new ideas and excellent teamwork. We are looking forward to the competition once again.’’ The England series was a success for him (21 wickets from three Tests) but Kaneria feels an India-Pakistan encounter is a different ballgame and that competition will ‘‘on an even keel.’’ In an effort to bring the players together, the Pak team management sees to it that the entire bunch prays five times a day, together. This, says Kaneria, ‘‘has helped a lot in boosting unity’’. With Yousuf Youhana (Mohd Yousuf) having converted to Islam, Kaneria (a Hindu) remains the lone member in the Pakistani team who is often conspicuous by his absence during prayers. That, however, does not make him feel like an outsider. ‘‘Whenever the team is offering namaaz, I quietly go into my room or a temple nearby and pray for Pakistan.’’ He has learnt a lot to deal with such issues through his cousin Anil Dalpat, a wicket-keeper who played briefly for Pakistan, and now through captain Inzamam-ul Haq. ‘‘Like any other teammate, I would give a lot of credit to Inzamam. He is a true leader and has supported everybody a lot. Given his captaincy and form, we are currently in a very positive frame of mind,’’ he says. The Dark Horse In five Tests that Kaneria has played against India since 2004, he has captured 26 wickets at an average of 32.58 — his best being two five-wicket hauls, at Mohali and Bangalore. India might play spinners well, but they will do better to remember that it was Kaneria’s leg-spin that eventually helped Pakistan draw the Test series when they visited India early this year. KANERIA V INDIA Mat: 5; Maidens: 47; Runs conceded: 847; Wkts: 26; 5s: 2; 10s: 0; Best: 6/150; Avg: 32.58; Econ Rate: 3.09.
