da brdice： At the end of the day’s play Wasim Jaffer spoke to the media about his splendid vibes with Dinesh Karthik, his surprising opening partner, and how he was determined not to repeat the mistakes from Durban
Dileep Premachandran in Cape Town02-Jan-2007
‘We get along well off thefield, so there were not too many adjustments to make while opening theinnings’ © Getty Images
When they sat next to each other on the team bus during an ill-fatedone-day series, Wasim Jaffer and Dinesh Karthik couldn’t have dreamt of aday such as this, and a 153-run opening partnership that thwarted SouthAfrica until Asad Rauf upheld an optimistic appeal from Paul Harris.Jaffer took that setback in his stride though, going on to make 116 beforea tired push at a Dale Steyn delivery gave Jacques Kallis a 100th catch inTest cricket.”We’re pretty good friends,” said Jaffer at the press conference after theday’s play. “We have sat next to each other on the bus right through thetour, and I know him very well as a person. We get along well off thefield, so there were not too many adjustments to make while opening theinnings.”He was playing a Test after a long while, and it was a commendableperformance from him, not merely to accept the task of opening the inningsbut to make 60-plus.”When the two walked out in the morning after Rahul Dravid won the toss,they might have been forgiven for thinking that it was a home Test, minusthe bedlam in the stands. According to Jaffer, it was “an Indian pitch”that greeted them.”When we saw the track yesterday, we were surprised how a pitch in SouthAfrica could look like this,” he said with a characteristic shy smile. “Itwas very good for batting today and I’m glad we capitalised on it. Theball’s already turning and there are rough patches. Obviously, Anil Kumblewill have a role to play as the game wears on.”His place in the side had come under the scanner after two poor outings inthe one-day series and failures in the tour game and first Test. But theteam management kept faith and he played two attractive innings atKingsmead, though the lasting memory will be of that awful pull that ledto his dismissal on the final morning.Jaffer called his third Test century the best possible gift that he couldgive his team at the start of the year. “I was definitely under pressurecoming into this game,” he said. “Right through this tour, I haven’t madeenough runs. I’m thankful to the team management that they stuck by me andgave me a chance to bat here. Thank God I came good in this Test.”He was mindful of what had happened in Durban, and showed commendableconcentration for six hours under a blazing sun. “There’s pressure inevery match,” he said. “I had spent some time in the middle in Durban, andthat helped me here. I had a lapse in concentration there, and I wanted toavoid those mistakes.”Jaffer had been informed on the eve of the game that he was part of the12, but he said that he only knew for sure that he’d be padding up when hearrived at the ground in the morning. The identity of his opening partnerdidn’t surprise him unduly though. “It’s the management’s decision, I haveno role in that,” he said. “I am happy to bat with anyone as my partner.”For the moment, the man who sits alongside him on the bus appears to be asgood an option as any.