Irfan feels happy about the venue

You thought it was joke when a fan wearing the monkey mask ran into the ground doing all pranks when Andrew Symonds was batting at the crease?

You thought it was joke when a fan wearing the monkey mask ran into the ground doing all pranks when Andrew Symonds was batting at the crease? The Indians certainly did, and that’s what they would suggest to the Appeals Commissioner, Justice John Hansen, in their appeal day after tomorrow that certain words have to be taken in lighter vein, not as a racist slur and that chirping like the one that went into the field today between the Indians and Australians, was part of game.

Irfan Pathan did try and scare that ‘monkey’ man away; he certainly enjoyed the little funny thing but more than that he enjoyed bagging his 100th victim in Test cricket. And that he picked his first and the 100th victim at the very same venue, certainly made the feeling a lot special.

“I am really happy that I got my 100th wicket. I started my career here four years ago and that my 100th happened on the same ground where my career started is even more special. This tour has been very crucial — the last six months of my comeback has been good, but I really wanted to do well in Test cricket. And I am happy with the way I have bowled in the two Tests here,” he said.

Irfan, though regrets that he couldn’t contribute much with the bat here, falling cheaply in both innings — including a duck in the second today — but feels that India will be interested in the final day’s play. “You never know, anything can happen. It will be a final day pitch, it wont be easy but we can bat well tomorrow and put Australia in to bat and create some pressure,” he said.