Shahid Afridi has for long been an unpredictable cricketer. But that facet of his game is always accompanied by glittering moments of brilliance that convince one that the 25-year old is destined for bigger things.
In the fifth One-Day International against India, it was his single-minded aggression that carried Pakistan to the easiest of victories, and a 3-2 lead in the six-match series.
On a pitch that proved difficult to bat on during the first innings, India put on 250 runs - a total many reckoned would be competitive given the fact that the pitch would get slower and India's battery of spinner's would be helped no end by the conditions.
But some people are beyond reason. Trying to impress upon Afridi the need to keep his wicket intact is a futile act. Coach Bob Woolmer and captain Inzamam-ul Haq have both shown great confidence in him and today he repaid their faith with interest.
As Afridi walked in to open the innings with Salman Butt, India's stand-in skipper Rahul Dravid and the entire Indian team would have known the importance of sending the right-hander back to the pavilion as quickly as possible. In the last two games, Ashish Nehra was able to do that in quick time, but today he was not around.
Things started off sedately, with nine runs coming off the first overs. But, then, Afridi blasted 23 off the third over, bowled by Balaji, to give Pakistan a monster of a kick-start to the innings.
Zaheer bowled a maiden immediately after that, but the whipping Balaji received made a fearful Dravid introduce his most experienced ODI bowler, Anil Kumble, into the attack.
The result was the same. Another over, another 23 runs.
Pace or spin doesn't matter to Afridi as long as there are only two fielders outside the 30-yard circle.
Granted that Balaji should have known not to bowl into Afridi's pads; granted he should have known not to give him too much room either. Introducing a spinner into the attack while the field restrictions are still in effect is always a move fraught with danger, and the right-hander showed exactly how much damage can be done.
The first 100 runs of the Pakistan innings came off just 64 balls. When Afridi was eventually dismissed, Pakistan had scored 131 off just 86 balls. Afridi's contribution was 102 off 46 balls, the second fastest ODI century. To put his knock into correct perspective, his fellow opener Butt had used up 40 balls for his 29 at that point in the innings.
Afridi dominance is clearly illustrated by the manner in which he took on each bowler. Balaji was smashed for 26 runs (4 x 3, 6 x 2) off 8 balls, Zaheer, who was perhaps the only bowler to keep him quiet, gave away 30 runs (4 x 4, 6 x 2) off 23 balls. Those were the seamers.
The spinners weren't spared either. Kumble was hammered for 23 runs (4 x 1, 6 x 3) off 6 balls while Dinesh Mongia, who had great success in Twenty-20 cricket in England, was trashed for 19 runs (4 x 1, 6 x 2) in 6 balls.
The innings run-rate when Afridi was dismissed was 9.07, way above the required run-rate of 3.41. The remaining batsmen did not need to score at a quick pace and they didn't. They took a further 27.5 overs to get the remaining 121 runs, at an RPO of 4.4.
It needed a batsman possessing the brute force of Afridi to crack this match open. The right-hander delivered as Virender Sehwag has so often for India. Today, all those watching could do nothing but sit back and enjoy the astonishing disdain that Afridi had for the Indian bowlers.
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