The Hindu : Sport / Cricket : I have never batted so fluently, says Jaffer

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Saturday, Dec 01, 2007
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I have never batted so fluently, says Jaffer

Amitabha Das Sharma

— Photo: K.R. Deepak

LINCHPIN: Team Pakistan would be better served if Shoaib Akhtar, who had an indifferent opening day, can raise his game and come up with some quick solutions on Saturday.

KOLKATA: The opening day of the Eden Test found a hero in Wasim Jaffer. The otherwise reticent Indian opener, who scored a ‘fluent’ unbeaten 192, had a lot of things to say about his international Test career on Friday.

“I do not think I have ever batted so fluently in my Test career,” a beaming Jaffer said. “Making 192 in a single day is quite a thing. And I am very happy that it came against Pakistan,”’ he added.

Jaffer, who scored more than half the runs that India totalled on the opening day, said that though all the four Test hundreds he had previously scored “are special” in their own ways, the one at Eden would rank on the top for the authority with which it was compiled.

He also spoke about the anxiety within as he went about scripting the big innings.

Need for a big score

“I was quite conscious about the need for a big score. I got a few good starts before but did not reach a 100 in many of my innings in both Test and first-class matches,” he said.

Jaffer, who had been out of international cricket for a sizeable period after making his debut in 2000, betrayed the concern of a player looking to consolidate his position in the team.

“I have gone through many lean phases. I am used to scoring big runs but that was not happening in international cricket. I have worked on my shortcomings and have come back strongly,” he said.

With just eight runs away from his second Test double century (the last having come against West Indies in June 2006), Jaffer sounded optimistic about his international Test career: “I’ll try and do that frequently in future.”

The demure Mumbai opener was also characteristically modest about his ambition when he was asked whether Virender Sehwag’s 309 would be the target he would be looking to overhaul. “Let me score the first run tomorrow,” was his reply.

Praise for seniors

He acknowledged the support of both his senior partners, Rahul Dravid and Sachin Tendulkar, who “came up and pointed out if I did any thing wrong,” during his scintillating knock.

“Sachin is missing a lot of hundreds. This is a sad thing for everyone in the country. Let us hope he is back scoring centuries soon,” Jaffer added about Tendulkar.

Jaffer said Pakistan’s bowling was hampered because Shoaib Akhtar could not bowl in the right measure. “But it was a good day for Indian cricket,” he added.

Trying to be upbeat

The Pakistan camp did not have much to offer. Speaking for the team, Faisal Iqbal, who replaced an injured Shoaib Malik, did try his best to be upbeat saying, “we will attack from the very beginning tomorrow morning."

While congratulating Jaffer, whose “great innings” created the difference on the first day, Iqbal said, “everyday is a new day in a Test match and we would try to lessen our mistakes tomorrow.”

Faisal, a nephew of Pakistan legend Javed Miandad, hoped Shoaib Akhtar would regain full fitness on the second day giving his team the chance to come full steam against the home side.

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