An innings of rare vintage

ST JOHN'S, ANTIGUA: In Mumbai’s lustrous catalogue of master batsmen may soon be added one Wasim Jaffer. With a sensible, skilful yet scintillating innings — a defining display — here at the Antigua Recreation Ground (ARG), he has staked claims of sustaining the tradition of a city, once recognised as the cradle of Indian cricket, but which today has only him as its one representative in the Indian side. Sachin Tendulkar may be hors de combat, Ajit Agarkar may have been ignored, but Jaffer has kept the flag fluttering.

More importantly, he may have answered India’s crying need of a conventional and reliable opener. It is no exaggeration that he produced an innings of rare vintage, one that reverberated across the Caribbean and through the airwaves to the rest of the world. Not every opener possesses technical excellence and panache. Jaffer has both. While VVS Laxman probably needs the security of at least a 50 to recover his touch and Rahul Dravid seems a bit weighed down, it would not be incorrect to claim that Jaffer outshone them both with a superb effort, which was at the same time responsible. With two hundreds in four Tests — and not against minnows — he has, hopefully, carved out a permanent presence in the Indian side. He can provide stability at the top of the order which Virender Sehwag, with his swashbuckling approach — and his lesser consistency these days — perhaps, cannot.

The Mumbai school of batsmanship — like a gharana in Indian classical music — is of a heady tradition. First demonstrated by Vijay Merchant in the 1930s, it was reinforced by Vijay Manjrekar, Polly Umrigar and Dilip Sardesai, then carried to dizzy heights by Sunil Gavaskar, before being maintained by Dilip Vengsarkar and Sanjay Manjrekar only to be catapulted to another peak by Tendulkar.

Jaffer’s exhibition was all the more significant, because he unfurled it under pressure, when his team, staring down the barrel of a 130-run first innings shortfall, desperately  needed it. Despite being the junior partner, he was happy to tackle Fidel Edwards, who, aiming at Sehwag’s rib-cage at 90 mph, was discomfiting the Delhi opener.
The Mumbaikar not only played him with assurance, but did not allow a loose delivery to go unpunished. It will be a bonanza for social scientists if and when Jaffer is enlisted among Mumbai’s elite wielders of the willow.

Jaffer erases 2001-02 memories

Indian opener Wasim Jaffer’s century on the third day of the first Test against the West Indies on Sunday erased the disappointment of his last appearance at St John’s in 2001-02.

“It was obviously very special getting a Test hundred in the West Indies, especially when the team was in a difficult situation,” Jaffer said.

Jaffer’s century, which included 12 fours and came off 222 balls in almost five hours of batting, made up for the dismay he felt when he fell for 86 on the same ground when India visited the Caribbean four years ago.

Sunday’s innings followed the maiden century Jaffer made on his Test recall against England in Nagpur in March after spending three-and-a-half years in the international wilderness.

“I was here last time and was familiar with the conditions, but the bowling line-up was totally different then,” Jaffer said. “The last time I missed a hundred here, so I am happy. I just tried to play straight most of the time.” —Reuters