Pathan scripts a quiet return

If the twenty20 world cup saw the re-emergence of irfan pathan, his ODI comeback saw a makeover. With all the focus...

If the twenty20 world cup saw the re-emergence of irfan pathan, his ODI comeback saw a makeover. With all the focus centered behind the stumps as MS Dhoni played his first game as India skipper, Pathan silently returned to the fold with a disciplined performance. The man who burst on to the international scene with a toe-crushing yorker to clean bowl Adam Gilchrist, was now the steady medium pacer with restrictive intentions.

As he returned to the pavilion as the most economical pacer of the day, there was at least one reason to celebrate for India despite the Aussies posting 307. Pathan’s 8-0-38-0 didn’t quite get the standing ovation that Michael Clarke’s 130 from 132 balls was accorded but looking at the bigger picture this was one bright spot that India’s team management would have spotted.

During India’s last ODI high – the historic 16 match successful chasing streak – Pathan the all-rounder had a big role to play. He continued to be a reliable batsman, but the bowling dip meant Pathan didn’t fit into the scheme of things. The then captain Rahul Dravid missed the all-rounder in the ranks spoiling the balance of his side.

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Today, Pathan the bowler got a new job – the mid-overs run stopper. Since this vital U-turn coincides with the start of Dhoni’s captaincy, things would be easier for the new skipper when he sits to finalise his playing XI. And even in the brief Indian innings of 2.4 overs, it was clear how much the team missed the floater in the batting line-up. Sachin Tendulkar being dismissed early saw Pathan walking out at No.3.

Considering this was a vital game of his precious player, Dhoni ensured a smooth redraft. Pathan got the ball in hand after the destructive openers were back in the pavilion and despite the fact that he had just bowled 8 overs, Dhoni kept him away from the firing line during the slog overs.

Watching Pathan bowl in tandem with the Sreesanth was like watching the the mundane and the mercurial. While Sreesanth gambled to buy wickets, Pathan was the more conservative. Sreesanth bowled 6 wides, one beamer, several slower balls and at times even touched the 140 kph mark. In the bargain he got three wickets but went for 5.5 runs per over. Pathan, who just bowled one wide, gave away runs at an average of 4.75. And had Dhoni stumped Clarke, when he was on 30, Pathan’s figures would have been more impressive and the Aussie score less overwhelming.

Like in the Twenty20 World Cup, Pathan bowled back of length and banked on the slower ball to throw the batsmen out of groove. Though things didn’t go according to plan today, but Pathan promises to present a perfect foil to the other aggressive pacers in the squad—Zaheer Khan, RP Singh and Sreesanth.

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It has been a long ride on the roller coaster for Pathan. He started as a first-change bowler who gradually graduated to getting the new ball. And that’s when he lost his swing and was also the right to get the new ball. On his comeback, considering that he bowls in the bowls in 130 kph range, Pathan seems to have found a role for himself.

During the Greg Chappell days when his experiment with promoting Pathan up the batting order had worked, the pacer insisted that he shouldn’t be seen as an all-rounder. In the present scenario he wouldn’t mind being called one — a stature that will help him keep a place in the side.