NEW DELHI: One thing that glowed brighter than the floodlights that bathed the SuperSport Park in Centurion during Rajasthan Royals's five-wicket victory over Delhi Daredevils on Tuesday night. Yusuf Pathan's self-belief put the rich light from the towers in the shade.
The uncharitable have suggested that Pathan's knock was carefree because he had did not have the fear of failure. It is quite unfair to even suggest that a nothing-to-lose-everything-to-gain approach laced his innings. There was a method about it - from delaying his onset to the construction of his innings.
Clearly, as Pathan revealed later, there was a plan to target the short boundaries. He cleared them with powerful hits that went deep into the stands. Clearly, his strong frame helps him generate immense power. Coupled with the generous, quick swing of the bat, he can strike the cricket ball.
On Tuesday, above all else, there was just one thought, one belief: It can be done. It is this belief, this faith that was Pathan's greatest asset as he helped gun down the target with an ease and a facility that no other batsman was able to aspire for, let alone achieve. True, AB de Villiers got a half-century and Graeme Smith a few runs himself but Pathan was on different plane altogether.
Walking in at 64 for five in 11 overs after a leg-spinner wrought havoc and the 144-run target seemed remote, the one quality that a batsman needed to possess was self-belief. And, Pathan had plenty of the characteristic that champion sportspersons have shown in adversity.
We will always recall Kapil Dev's 175 not out against Zimbabwe at Tunbridge Wells in the 1983 World Cup. He walked in to bat with the scoreboard reading nine for four. And soon it was 17 for five. India rose to make 260-plus and went on to win the game with some comfort. That innings was about self-belief.
Similarly, how can we also forget the knocks that VVS Laxman and Rahul Dravid played at Eden Gardens in that memorable Test match against Australia? They batted through a whole day without being separated and helped India turn the tables not just in the Test match where the side was asked to follow-on but also in the series and beyond.
Of course, even in the 16 IPL games we have seen being played, the quality has been showcased. Yusuf Pathan's younger brother Irfan showed it - and more visibly, at that - during an all-round performance against Rajasthan Royals at Newlands in Cape Town.
Rajasthan Royals' rookie paceman Kamran Khan showed it in those tense moments against Kolkata Knight Riders; Deccan Chargers left-arm spinner Pragyan Ojha demonstrated that when bowling to the likes of Mumbai Indians skipper Sachin Tendulkar and Chennai Super Kings stars Matthew Hayden and Mahendra Singh Dhoni.
Yet, for self-belief bordering on sheer audacity, Yusuf Pathan's stint in Centurion has to take pride of place. How else can his stunning assault on the world's craftiest left-arm spinner Daniel Vettori be explained? Ineed, his self-belief and faith was glowing brighter than the lights from the pylons in SuperSport Park.
G Rajaraman
He is Head - Content, www.iplt20.com, and lives in Delhi with his family that understands his passion for cricket - and all sport - and allows him to experience it every day.
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