Tuesday, February 24, 2009

Would You Have Walked Out Yourself?

With an over and a bit to go, two days ago, out walked Younis Khan to face Murali and Mendis.

Pakistan were trailing by over 600 runs at that time and the captain did not use a nightwatchman and had decided to face the music himself.

That too a captain in his first test in charge. First of the current tenure.

At that time, it could have been either a courageous decision, or a foolish one.

Two days later, 400 plus Pakistan runs later, 240 plus Younis Khan runs later, it shows what a determined, courageous, and dedicated decision that was.

I don't know many other Pakistani captains who would have done that. Shoaib Malik, Inzamam, Javed Miandad, Saleem Malik, none of them.

Let alone, Pakistani captains, I doubt many international captains would have done that.

Mahela Jayawardene - Probably not.

Ricky Ponting - No way in hell.

Daniel Vettori - With all due respect to his batting prowess, I don't think he would have required one.

Mohammad Ashraful - I doubt it.

MS Dhoni - He might have walked out himself, though can't say for sure.

Graeme Smith, Andrew Strauss, Chris Gayle - Being openers, they would have had no choice but to walk out to face an over or two.

The only international captain I can think of who would have walked out to bat when Younis did, is Steve Waugh.

And even Imran Khan, for that matter.

Not bad examples to follow for Younis.

Nor a bad precedent to set.

Flat track or not, facing up to the leading wicket taker in tests, and one who just last year destroyed the best players of spin bowling in the world, is quite a task.

Younis Khan has done it for almost two full days!

What's more, he has lived up to his promise of scoring more than the opposing captain, Mahela Jayawardene.

And he wasn't dropped twice on his way there.

Well done Younis.

Make your pitch on this post...



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12 Pitched:

  1. Gaurav Sethi said...
     

    Q, for me that was the high point of the game. Clearly, Younis is a thrill seeker; said so at flyslip, be grt if he could have done it again in the 2nd innings at stumps today. Not to be.

  2. straight point said...
     

    to carry on from NC on 'he is thrill seeker' guess with which shot he brought 300?

    exactly...

  3. sidwho? said...
     

    I agree. With a possible exception of MS Dhoni( bacause he is one Indian batsmen who seems comfortable against M&M in tests and because he is late middle order anuway), none of the present captains would have dared to do what Khan did! Posnting least of all!!!!

  4. Rishabh said...
     

    Well...to be honest, it depends on the situation your team is in. At that time Pakistan looked somewhat out of the game. A daring decision though. In fact, I would say this is good captaincy. Imagine what would have happened if even the nightwatchman would have fallen two days ago ? Pakistan would lost another part-time batsman(that's how I can describe it). And seriously even a tail-ender can do wonders at any position. For example - Jason Gillispie. He scored an amazing double knock.

    It does seem like Pakistan have found an aggressive leader in Khan!

  5. Unknown said...
     

    Funny.. I was reading this post and thinking to myself 'steve waugh would have walked out'... but then you made my point for me!

  6. Q said...
     

    NC, u suggesting Pakistan would have been bowled out, batted again, and lost another opener for Younis to walk to out again before end of the 4th day's play?

  7. Q said...
     

    SP, thill seeker or not, I don't think Younis had an option to get his 300th run apart from playing the reverse sweep or going over the in-field.. I'm not surprised he chose the former, something he seems to be better at ;-)

  8. Q said...
     

    Sid, besides the ability to play M&M, the reason i think Dhoni would have done that was cause he has displayed the kind of courage, determination, and will that Younis has in this test, on a number of occasions...

  9. Q said...
     

    Rishabh, he was always aggressive as we saw in the breif stints he had as captain, usually standing in for Inzi or Malik (in India)..

    Lets hope he stays on and doesn't have one of those fits in which he resigns or quits or refuses..

  10. Q said...
     

    Moses, Steve Waugh was THE man!

  11. Unknown said...
     

    sure was, I was there for his catch under the sightscreen.. still the best catch I've ever seen..

  12. Q said...
     

    That was a beauty Moses.. Adam Voges recent one ws far off from the best either.. I watch Waugh's 200 against Ambrose & Co. in 94-95 live ball-by-ball and became an instant fan... though I had started to admire him after a 70 odd he played in Sharjah against Pak.. watched that innings at the ground..

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