On a clear day that promised much but delivered little, the dismissal of Satyajit Parab sent the crowd into raptures.Mohammad Kaif walked out to take guard and his contest with Mohammad Sami was the only battle of interest in this practice game where the players have spent more time playing under-arm tennis ball cricket indoors than with the leather cherry.The first ball from Sami was dispatched to the boundary — a delectable flick then a flowing on drive, followed by a cut shot. The battle had been won and Sami was taken out of the attack.Sami has for long been the fast bowling hope for Pakistan after Shoaib Akhtar but has done little to justify it. The problem with him, says a team member, is that he tries too much for raw pace and loses out on the essential ingredient of swing from his bowling.Speaking to this paper this evening, he made it clear that instead of targeting any particular batsmen he was instead concentrating on returning home with the Man of the Series Award. That would be sufficient to see Pakistan home in the series, he believes.‘‘I know I have to concentrate hard on my bowling because with Akhtar out I have to lead the bowling attack. I cannot afford to be off-target this time. I have worked very hard for this tour and have a couple of things planned for the Indian batsmen’’, he said.Talking about late swing, he said that he had worked on it and would definitely use it to good effect through the series. ‘‘I wish Wasimbhai or Waqarbhai were here to help me through this’’, he said, adding that he had learnt a lot from them. The biggest lesson he’d picked up was about translating aggression positively to his advantage.Bad light and showers ensured that no further play was possible and a promising innings from Kaif was cut short at thirty.A century from him against a full-strength Pakistan attack would have pushed the selectors to scratch their skulls for the Kolkata Test. Kaif’s place in the Test side can be delayed but not denied.Another victim of the weather was Parthiv Patel, who stood with his hands deep in his pockets, hoping that an outing with the bat would have helped his chances when the squad for the second Test was picked. Patel might like to believe that a batting failure from Dinesh Kaarthick will ensure a ticket for him into the team but the journey back to the team bus is still some distance away.Meanwhile Salman Butt, the opening batsman who could well become the star of this series, came up with a theory to his attacking batting style. ‘‘This is a new generation and different times from the oldies. Opening is not about taking the shine off the ball, it is about attacking first and seizing the initiative’’, he says.‘‘Take a look at the greatest opening pair of Desmond Haynes and Gordon Greenidge. Did they work on taking the shine off the ball? Take Saeed Anwar-Aamir Sohail for example. Both played their strokes at will’’, he argues.‘‘If there is a ball to be hit, I will go after it. I don’t want to stay at the wicket for two hours and score twenty runs. That’s not me. I would rather stay two hours and make the opposition pay for letting me stay there for that long’’, he says with a straight face.He says that Taufiq and he have decided to play positively against India and make the first attacking move.The first move has been made and the Indian riposte is awaited at Mohali.Desperately seeking entertainmentWith security a major issue with the Pakistan team have appointed a three-member entertainment committee from amongst themselves that decides how the team will spend their recreation time here in India. Last heard Inzamam Ul Haq was refused a place on the committee.‘‘All he will do is get us to pray and pray and pray’’, a player joked.‘‘I’d like to take the guys out to the Taj Mahal when we get to Delhi’’, said the team manager Saleem Altaf, who will be joined by his wife on this condition. As of now they face serious problems about getting out of Dharamshala together. — ENS
