A very good article by Rameez. He touches all the points that we all have been discussing here.
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I think he is regular visitor of gupshup.org :D**
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Indian bowling was the surprise package
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April 02, 2004
Nothing went right for Pakistan in Multan, and it was extremely disappointing to watch them capitulate so meekly in just over four days.
We had decided to play a Test at Multan because we felt that the wicket at this venue would be more suitable for our pacemen than the one at Faisalabad. Andy Atkinson, the curator, had left a little grass to ensure some life in the pitch, but the team management thought this was not a good idea. As a result we had a brown, bare pitch on the morning of the match.
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Looking ahead to Lahore, I have asked Atkinson not to do anything with the pitch till I tell him to. Till now, we used to let the team management have their way in the matter, but I think the PCB needs to come into this issue.**
But I am convinced that the flat pitch was not the cause of Pakistan’s defeat. The Indians with less speed took 20 wickets on the same pitch, so obviously it is some shortcoming in their mental preparation and actual bowling that allowed the Indians to reach such a mammoth total.
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A green top, likewise, does not guarantee a Pakistani victory. On any wicket you have to play well and remain positive if you are to win.**
Our approach and team selection were also very disappointing. We could have played two spinners once they decided to take off the grass on the wicket, and the wayward performance of the bowlers on the first day was really shocking. We gave away too many runs through loose deliveries and poor fielding and were always behind the Indians after the first session.
But if anyone made the difference between the two sides, it was Virender Sehwag. After the first day, Inzamam-ul-Haq told me that even though the bowling was ordinary, any other batsman would have taken his team to 270-280. But Sehwag took the initiative and batted splendidly right through the first five sessions of the Test. Our fielding lapses did not help. If we had held our catches, India would have reached 550 instead of 675.
One expects India to bat well these days – they have the most formidable line-up in world cricket right now – but I thought their bowling was the surprise package.** They were magnificent in their discipline and maturity, and could teach a thing or two about accuracy to their counterparts in the Pakistani team.**
Irfan Pathan looks better with every game. He is exuberant and mature at the same time, looks frail but has the heart to go on and on for the team, and is a willing learner who is always trying to improve his craft.** I think the difference between Pathan and Zaheer Khan is reflected in the way they start their spells. Pathan always starts off with a good ball, while Zaheer invariably sends down a loosener that goes for runs.** :k: Pathan has been a find for India, and needs to be nurtured well.
Rahul Dravid’s captaincy was also commendable. He handled Pathan and all the others in a manner that allowed them rest between their spells. He used Anil Kumble sparingly in the first innings, but brought him back for long spells in the second. The Indians did not set a foot wrong in this Test and will go to Lahore brimming with confidence.
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Off the field, it was disappointing to see Sarfaraz Nawaz and Rashid Latif making bizarre allegations of matches being fixed. Many Pakistan players were very disturbed by these allegations, and the PCB has decided to take on these loose cannons.
Sarfaraz must be the most irresponsible cricketer living today. :k: :k: He has been an embarrassment for the cricket establishment for years now. :k: Rashid only brings up the match-fixing issue when he is not in the team, and needs to be taken on as well. It is insulting to the Indians as well as to the spirit in which this series has been played to hear these baseless allegations.** :k: :k: The PCB is aware that there are elements in the country who do not want an India-Pakistan series to succeed, and we will do all that we can do to curb them.
