Left-arm pacer Irfan Pathan is back in the Indian team, hoping that Wednesday
will be a day of atonement for him.
Exactly three weeks ago Irfan Pathan played his last ODI match
at Centurion.
He bowled six overs and conceded 48 runs without taking a wicket,
and was subsequently sent back to India to find his form in domestic cricket.
Thereafter, in the three weeks away from international cricket, Pathan has played
three Ranji matches, taking 15 wickets at 23 runs a piece.
The 22-year-old's batting has also been crucial in Baroda's
victory against Uttar Pradesh where he smashed six sixes in his 100 ball 82.
No wonder then that the captain is looking to him once more
to reproduce the old magic at the international level.
"I am looking forward to him playing and bowling well.
Him performing well will be critical to the team's balance," said
Rahul Dravid, Captain, Indian cricket team.
A comeback before his home crowd will certainly mean pressure
for the Baroda pacer, but he can take heart from being the only Indian all-rounder
to feature in the ICC's top five ODI rankings despite some scratchy performances
earlier on.
Pathan made his debut with a bang in Brisbane in 2003, and
it took him two years till he played his first international game on his homeground.
However, no test will be more crucial than the one now as he
has to prove that he is back in form.
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