Raining sixes at seven

There8217;s a long thoughtful silence when Yusuf Pathan is asked which one of the nine sixes that he hit in his match-winning 148 from 123 balls...

There8217;s a long thoughtful silence when Yusuf Pathan is asked which one of the nine sixes that he hit in his match-winning 148 from 123 balls was his favourite. He seems to be spoiled for choice as he replays his whirlwind knock in the mind.

Yusuf gives up soon and settles to take a more holistic view of his knock and says: 8220;Picking one six is very tough. Actually hitting sixes and fours isn8217;t a novelty for me. Coming to the crease at 66/5, scoring 148 runs and helping my team win the game is something very special. I will never forget this knock,8221; says the 25-year-old.

Such was the impact of Yusuf8217;s knock that India A8217;s freakish top-order collapse 8212; three batsmen being run out 8212; was forgotten very soon. With Rohit Sharma 36, Irfan Pathan 31 and Piyush Chawla 16 providing valuable support to Yusuf, India A scored 305/8 8212; a score that had seemed impossible when Robin Uthappa 0, Swapnil Asnodkar 0, skipper S Badrinath 22, Dinesh Kartik 26 and Suresh Raina 8 were back in the hut.

Proving a point

As the Kiwis caved in under the pressure of the imposing total, India A recorded a 81-run win to lead the points table of this triangular series. Yusuf had given the Black Caps an idea about his potential in the previous game at Hyderabad where he scored an unbeaten inning of 34, which saw him hit a massive six on the first ball he faced. At the end of that game, the No.7 batsman was a bit pensive. He was quite happy with his form but Yusuf, like most lower-order batsmen, spoke about the lack of opportunities in a batting line-up full of players out there to prove a point.

Yusuf speaks about the chat he had with coach Dav Whatmore on eve of the game where this issue was touched. 8220;Dav told me that since I played at No.7 there was little chance that I would score hundreds but my contribution to the team was very vital,8221; he said.

Today as luck would have it, Yusuf had enough time to reach the three-figure mark. 8220;I came in when the chips were down. I got a chance to be on the pitch for about 35 overs. This was my chance to make an impact and I did,8221; he says.

Yusuf is famous for playing such blazing knocks in times of crisis on the domestic circuit and even during the Indian Premier League, but on Sunday he did the same against an international side too. Ask Yusuf if today8217;s knock will prove to be the turning point of his topsy-turvy cricketing career and he gives another thoughtful sigh. 8220;I don8217;t think on those lines. There are several turning points in one8217;s life. For me the vital thing is to score runs in the next two games,8221; says the all-rounder, who after getting into the ODI side because of his IPL show, was dropped for the series against Sri Lanka. Yusuf knows how things work. Being Irfan8217;s brother has helped him see the unpredictability of international cricket and that8217;s the reason he isn8217;t jumping the gun or looking too far forward.

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8220;I am just living the moment and enjoying my game,8221; he says as he speaks about the joy of having his younger brother Irfan as the batting partner during in the crucial seventh-wicket partnership of 59.

8220;We were playing together after a long time. I don8217;t even remember the last time we batted together. When he came to bat, Irfan told me that he will take some time to settle but I should play my normal game. Hit the loose balls but stay till the end,8221; recalls Yusuf.

Now that8217;s an advice all batsmen in the dressing room get after suffering a sudden collapse. Isn8217;t this something that is easier said than done? Another long sigh is followed by a simple one-word answer. 8220;Hmm8230; Yes,8221; he says.