The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : I have not lost self-belief: Badani

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Wednesday, Sep 15, 2004

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Sport - Cricket

I have not lost self-belief: Badani

By S. Dinakar

CHENNAI, SEPT. 14. The worst thing about being in the limelight is when the arc lights are turned away; it can be very dark indeed. And extremely lonely too.

Some abandon hope, and get sucked into a deeper hole. Others seek inspiration within, keep the fire burning, and rediscover brighter terrains.

International cricket can be a rough ride and these are difficult times for Hemang Badani. He realises though that there can be light after darkness.

Freak injury

First the national selectors ignored the Tamil Nadu left-hander's rather strong claims for an ODI place. Then a freak injury proved an agonising roadblock.

Indeed, when the door appeared to be opening again, Badani hurt his knee while playing volleyball during the India `A' tour of Zimbabwe; a cruel blow for a man on a comeback.

"It's very frustrating. I do not like to be sitting out. But I have not lost self-belief. I know I have the ability," says the 27-year-old Badani, who has recovered, but is gradually working his way towards regaining match fitness.

Badani is putting up a brave front, like any sportsperson should, however, the entire sequence of events might have been different had the selectors picked him for the Asia Cup.

The first competition of a season has its own significance and often dictates the course for the rest of the months. As the later events proved, India was short of a batsman after V.V.S. Laxman wrenched his knee; wicket-keeper batsman Parthiv Patel was clearly extra baggage.

During a period when the Indian batting has suffered a slump in the ODIs, Badani has proved an exception. In his last four matches for India, he averages 120! True, the `not outs' have enhanced his figures, but then it is not Badani's fault that he bats at No. 6 or 7. "I know I have performed," says Badani, looking back. Among his efforts were knocks of 34 not out — a match-winning innings — on a viciously bouncing Perth surface against a charged up Heath Streak & Co., and an unbeaten 60 in the first VB tri-series final in Melbourne, where he refused to be consumed by the rampaging Aussie attack.

Interestingly, Badani's last knock for India was eight not out in the historic Karachi ODI this year. The left-hander never got another game in the five-match series.

Creditable record

Badani has a hundred at the expense of the formidable Australian bowling in Pune, 2001, and possesses a creditable record — 867 runs at 33.34 from 40 ODIs — for a man who has seldom received an opportunity to bat in the top five; lesser the number of overs to face, greater are the odds.

Given his record, Badani, an athletic fielder, has been on trial much too often. "I love a challenge, and I have succeeded in several such situations before. But I am human after all, and may suffer an odd failure in a selection game," he says.

It was against New Zealand last year that Badani scored a gutsy 127 for India `A' at Rajkot, making light of a fractured hand; he cannot forever remain under scrutiny though.

Badani does deserve a place in the sun — he has kept the fire burning.

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