An India-Pakistan game is intense… every ball was like a war: Vijay Zol

His century, which came off 120 balls, was Zol’s second against Pakistan. He had earlier made 109 in a group match of the 2012 Asia Cup in Kuala Lumpur. However, on that June day, Zol who stayed unbeaten, saw his side fall agonizingly short of the Pakistan total as India lost by one run.

However, on Saturday, in front of a vociferous crowd at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium, the 19-year-old ensured that his side went the distance when it mattered. The southpaw, struck seven fours and two sixes but more importantly calmed nerves in the dressing room when the two openers departed in quick succession.

“It is always a hard to play against Pakistan. We knew that and we began well. There were a few uneasy moments but when I went in to bat, I had a clear plan. I decided to just rotate the strike. I knew that if I batted for a while, things would get easier,” he said.

The match was played at the Sharjah Cricket Stadium, a venue the senior teams of India and Pakistan have locked horns in many a battle. Zol said that the atmosphere inside the stadium was charged. “An India-Pakistan game is intense. Every ball was like a war. At first it was uneasy, with all the spectators and the noise. But I think everyone settled down as the game progressed,” he said.

Did the fact that India were playing Pakistan in Sharjah weigh on the minds of the budding cricketers who were not even in their teens when the rivalry was played out at the venue?

“Everyone has watched videos of India-Pakistan in Sharjah. Everyone knew that we had to bring out something special, do something extraordinary and I am glad we did that,” he said.

Zol said that he and the other centurion Sanju Samson targetted the Pakistan spinners – left-arm Zafar Gohar, Kamran Ghulam and leg-spinner Karamat Ali. They plundered 150 runs in the 27 overs bowled by the spinners.

It also helped that Zol, the skipper, had the experience of playing against Pakistan in the past. “At the break we just spoke about how our batters had performed and now it was the bowlers’ turn to shine. Our bowlers have performed through the tournament and the plan was to bowl smart. Almost everyone in this side has experience of playing international games,” Zol added.

The winning side will soon have to shift their focus to defending their Junior World Cup title to be played in Dubai next month. “We have got a fair measure of the conditions here. We have seen how the wickets behave and have also worked out ways to chase and defend a total. Our confidence going into the World Cup is really high,” he said.

Making the switch

From the highs of securing the Asia Cup, Zol will now have to make the switch to the longer format. With Maharashtra preparing to take on Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy quarterfinal on Wednesday, Zol who has had a ‘reasonable’ First Class season, 410 runs in 10 innings, is looking forward to donning the whites.

“I am still not sure whether I will be playing because I have a groin problem. But the quarter-final is a huge match for the team and I want to be a part of it,” he said.

By his own admission, the 19-year-old is not too happy with his own performance in his debut First Class season. “I would have liked to score more runs. I got starts but then things did not work out. However, playing at the First Class level was a great experience and I have learned a lot, and the experience is helping me improve my game,” he said.