ANOTHER tri-series, another final loss: Indian cricket’s new season has an overwhelming whiff of staleness around it. One ray of sunlight, however, broke through the gloom: The emergence of Mohammed Kaif.Whether at No. 3, where he’s won matches, or at No 6/7, the man from Allahabad has shown he has the potential to be India’s most dominant one-day player when the reigning trinity retires. And if flexibility is Greg Chappell’s buzzword, he fits the bill best. Not least because of the success he’s recently enjoyed up the order after a long, long stint in the expedient 6/7 slot. It was a moot point whether one so used to the frantic immediacy of the lower-order slog would have the patience, the vision to stitch together two innings — one for self, one for the team — from one-down. The stats added to the doubts; Kaif’s career ODI average, at 35, is just a shade above Hemang Badani’s 33. And, till that Harare hundred, he had just one one-day century, as did Badani and Dinesh Mongia. And, yet again, he doesn’t even have the punch of Virender Sehwag or the polish of VVS Laxman. His stance is faulty, footwork edgy and he’s always tentative when playing the moving ball. He doesn’t have a trademark stroke. No Sehwag slash, Sachin straight drive, Ganguly off-side, Dravid drive. We needn’t have worried. In even his best innings you may not recall the shots Kaif played — but you’ll remember the impact. In analysing what makes Kaif so vital to the team, there are five factors to be kept in mind: THE BRAINS• He has that rare acumen to grasp the situation and play accordingly. Not many others in the present team have this asset — Abbas Ali Baig The two matches against New Zealand at Harare tell the story. Though the end result of the two innings — 93 off 110 balls — and 102 off 121 balls — was the same, they came in two different situations. In one, he came in after a good opening stand and so took his time to settle down. In the other, he needed to get things going and did so. Kaif the No.7 is different from Kaif the No.3. His shot selection changes and so does his run making area (see graphic). ON THE GROUND• He has a great quality of finding the gaps in the field. Mohinder Amarnath had skill and now I see it in Kaif. And he’s great between the wickets. That’s a killer combination. — Dilip Vengsarkar There’s one stat that more than anything else sums up Kaif’s game: In 97 ODIs, Kaif has hit just 9 sixes — one in almost every 11 matches! It’s that amazing safety factor that prompts Abbas Ali Baig to describe Kaif in one word: Effective. Yes, his shoulder points to the mid-on when he takes the stance and yes he has a problem with the moving ball. But his ability to cut down on the high-risk shots adds to his longevity. His quick running stems from his near-obsessive fitness regimen. John Wright was so impressed by his fitness levels that Kaif was designated the team’s fielding coach. VITAL RUNS• He isn’t a cricketer that can be judged by a scorecard. Statistics don’t show the contribution he makes to the team — Ajit Wadekar In a nation obsessed with overblown batting stats, Kaif has achieved stardom through his fielding. That, though, doesn’t do justice to his batting. The only Kaif image one recalls from the historic Pakistan tour was his ‘jumping over Badani’ catch at Karachi. Forgotten was his unbeaten 79 off 79 that helped India successfully chase 294 in Lahore. Even the lower scores matter, like his 35 against Pakistan in the 2003 World Cup. Doesn’t seem much but consider the circumstances: Sehwag gone and Ganguly out for a first ball duck. Kaif and Sachin Tendulkar put a 100-run partnership that helped India win the vital game. THE THIRD MAN• He’s played his part perfectly at the top of the order. With him scoring runs at No.3 we have more options now. As Greg Chappell says, he provides flexibility to the batting order. — Kiran More With two stroke-makers as openers Kaif is best suited to play one-drop. By playing in the gaps, he can rotate the strike and that will mean the big-hitters taking advantage of the field restrictions. With Rahul Dravid to follow, they form the perfect pair to consolidate or do the repair job. Then come the big-hitters: Yuvraj, Dhoni and Irfan, Kaif solid at the other end. THE ULTIMATE TEST You wouldn’t believe it but Mohd Kaif is a Test cricket veteran. How? Well, he’s been part of the squad in 16 Test series — but has only played seven matches. His first was on South Africa’s infamous tour of India in 1999, his most recent against Australia at Nagpur last year — where he scored 55 on the greentop against the rampaging Oz attack. So the question is, does his recent ODI success make him eligible for a Test berth? Will he do more than carry out the drinks? ‘‘He should,’’ says former Indian captain Ajit Wadekar. ‘‘He reminds me of Mohammad Azharuddin. They have a similar style of play and I can see no reason to say that he wouldn’t click in Tests.’’ The best place for Kaif, he feels, is in a No. 4 or 5 slot, where he could be a vital support to Dravid — and a successor as well. Not possessing all the shots in the book, Kaif has never made batting look easy. His stance — as if trying to get away from the crease even before hitting the ball — often sends out a jittery message. But, given his ability to work the ball through the gaps and work hard on every run that he manages to score, Kaif and his ground-shot could be more than just an asset to the Indian team. ‘‘This guy knows how to place the ball,’’ says Wadekar.
