The Hindu : Sport : It's all about handling pressure

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, Feb 04, 2006

Sport

Sport

It's all about handling pressure

Inzamam-ul-Haq

PRIZED POSSESSION: Inzamam-ul-Haq realised the dream of any Pakistan captain, a series win over India. — Photo: PTI

Despite having defeated India, I still have the highest respect for them as opponents. They played tough cricket and tried as hard as they could but the fact of the matter is that they could not handle the pressure as well as we did.

However, I would certainly say that Rahul Dravid's decision to open the innings helped our cause. Dravid is an excellent one-down batsman, probably the best in the world. But there is always a difference between an opener and a one-down batsman, even if the No. 3 batsman has to be at the crease for the second ball of the innings. The mindset and approach of an opener and No. 3 batsman are different.

Dravid managed to give his best in Lahore and Faisalabad, probably because the conditions were comparatively easier. But when the conditions and match situation changed in Karachi, he struggled in both innings and was the first to be dismissed.

Cashing in

When a batsman of Dravid's calibre and quality becomes the first casualty, the opponents see a window of opportunity, and if the opponents are as shrewd as Pakistan, then they would hardly provide India a comeback chance.

It would not be an exaggeration to say I am the most satisfied man on the planet at the moment. It is the dream of any Pakistan captain to win a series against India and doing it so convincingly makes me even happier.

I am particularly pleased with the improvement we have made since we lost to India at home in 2004. We were an inexperienced team and captaincy was also new to me. Now, we are a more experienced side and know how to handle the pressure.

To me, handling pressure and performing in pressure situations has been the decisive factor in the series that was decided in Karachi after two high scoring draws at Lahore and Faisalabad.

In 2004 we were in a rebuilding phase after the disastrous 2003 World Cup and the batsmen, in particular, did not know where they would bat or what their role was. For example, in the one-dayers we were playing Shahid Afridi at the top of the order but we didn't consider him for the Tests. But now Shahid is an integral component in both forms of the game and he knows he has to bat in the middle and what is expected of him

Adapting

Moreover, even after playing on batsmen-friendly pitches at Lahore and Faisalabad, our players were quick to adjust to the seamer-friendly wicket at Karachi when we posted 599 after being skittled out for 245 in the first innings and that too after we had slumped to 0 for three and then 39 for six.

Cricket is all about learning quick and fast, and we have proved to be better learners.

Furthermore, we can no more be branded as a one-man team. We won the Bangalore Test without Shoaib Akhtar, Lahore Test (against England) without Younis Khan and Karachi Test without me. It's all about self-belief and self-confidence, and at the moment we are rich in that. Of course, winning and that too against top teams has helped a lot.

I can say for certain that when we arrived in Karachi for the third Test there was tremendous pressure on us for two simple reasons: firstly, the first two Tests had ended in draws and we did not know what would happen in the third; secondly, we were being accused of adopting negative tactics by preparing batting tracks.

I want to put the record straight here. We always wanted hard and bouncy wickets because we had the confidence that our bowling attack was more penetrative and aggressive compared to India's.

It is besides the point that weather did not allow the groundsmen to come up with the wickets we were hoping for.

Find of the series

To me, the find of the series has undoubtedly been young Mohammad Asif. The lanky bowler kept coming up with something new and the Indian batsmen had no clue what to expect. I don't believe the Indian batsmen's technique was faulty.

The fact is that Asif comprehensively beat them with his swing and pace. Needless to say that the combination of controlled swing and pace is always difficult to handle for any batsman, no matter how great.

the day, the team that played better cricket won. — PTI

Printer friendly page
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail