At 30,Jagadeesh8217;s second wind continues with 84 vs J038;K

So copybook is his approach that it is hard to pick a stroke that has Jagadeesh's signature on it.

There is an unmistakeable surety in the way VA Jagadeesh bats. Hes either well forward or well on his backfoot. The footwork is never indecisive. The head is steady,the backlift uncomplicated and he mostly offers the full face of the bat. So copybook is his approach that it is hard to pick a stroke that has Jagadeeshs signature on it.

On Friday,at the GGM ground against Jammu and Kashmir,Jagadeesh remained unbeaten on 84 at stumps. Going by his recent spurt in form,which has seen the 30-year-old hit four of his six first-class tons last season,another triple-digit score on Saturday would only enhance his reputation as a late bloomer.

In September this year,the opener was picked for the first time in an India A squad,a selection he owes to the 800-plus runs he made in the 2012-13 first class season. Against New Zealand A,Jagadeesh made 91 and a month later followed it up with 86 versus West Indies A,sides comprising Test-capped bowlers.Jamp;K,of course,dont have the same class as NZ or WI. But Samiullah Beigh,Mohammad Mudasir and Ram Dayal Punia arent all that bad crafty bowlers who know how to get the best out of their home conditions.

The two stroke-makers in the Kerala side Abhishek Hegde and Sanju Samson had fallen after getting starts. Hegde had poked at a ball that held its line from Mudasir,whose stock delivery is the out-swinger. Samson had progressed to a fluent 25 off 39 balls when he attempted to pull a bouncer that was outside the off stump and ended up giving the mid-wicket fielder Hardeep Singh an easy catch.

At 99 for two,Kerala were still another 278 runs off Jamp;Ks first innings total of 377. Jagadeesh played solidly. By stumps on Day Two he had played out 175 balls,batting for 225 minutes. Remarkably,there wasnt a false stroke in his innings except for a cut that flew tantalisingly above to the slip cordon. There was,however,a period when Jagadeesh seemed to be bogged down. He was stuck on 45 for 16 balls and it looked like he was letting the bowlers dominate. But an upper cut off Beigh changed that.

Patience,the key

Jagadeesh found an equally patient batsmen in Rohan Prem,who finished the day on 42. Like his senior partner,Prem was prepared to wait for the scoring opportunity rather than trying to play a shot which held even a small element of risk. They added 85 for the third wicket,a partnership that holds promise when it resumes on the third day. However,the hosts made life equally difficult for the Kerala batsmen in the early part of the innings,a period which Jagadeesh played out with a great deal of patience. Talking about his increased ability to convert 50s into 100s over the past year,Jagadeesh said he had learnt not to get restless when approaching triple figures.

The difference is that I have been able to develop greater patience,more so when I am approaching a century,and have a better understanding of my game and how to build an innings. Before the start of last season the Kerala team went on a tour of South Africa and that experience was invaluable,Jagadeesh said.An assistant manager at the State Bank of Travancore,Jagadeesh is now a family man having recently become a father.

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This,he claims,has translated to further calmness at the wicket. My wife and I were blessed with a baby boy a month ago. Everything is working out well for me on and off the field.

Brief scores: Jamp;K 377 ID Singh 98,M Dar 64; P Parameswaran 4/52,S Warrier 4/97 vs Kerala 180/2 V Jagadeesh 84