08 December,2010 08:26 AM IST | | A Correspondent
Garden city witnesses a ton from Pathan which could make him a World Cup certainty Yusuf Pathan celebrates his ton last night. PIC/AFP
There were never any doubts over Yusuf Pathan's ability to play a match-winning innings. But what yesterday's hundred against New Zealand underlined is that India won't be able to win next year's World Cup without a man like him in the playing XI. The kind of pain Pathan can inflict on the opposition is worth all the selectorial headaches the team think-tank may have to undergo to treat him as a certainty.
Doubtless, he can play an innings which could win India world cricket's greatest prize. Being out of the side has made him hungrier and he doesn't seem to have the worry of being dropped. What better news!
Pathan carved out a career-best, unbeaten 123 off just 96 balls as India pulled off a thrilling five-wicket win in the fourth one-day international against the Kiwis. The 4-0 margin in the series would remind them of their recent 4-0 mauling suffered at the hands of Bangladesh recently.
Former Kiwi fast bowler Simon Doull told this paper the other day that the visitors have forgotten to win. True, but they stretched India at the Chinnaswamy Stadium yesterday by scoring 315 for seven.
The left-handed opening pair of Gautam Gambhir and Parthiv Patel suffered a hiccup when stand-in skipper Gambhir departed for 27. In-form batsman Virat Kohli's duck added to the concerns.
But an unfinished, 133-run sixth wicket partnership with Saurabh Tiwary (37 not out) proved vital for the hosts after they were 188-5 in the 34th over.
Gambhir admitted that he had never seen such a display. "I knew Yusuf could finish games on his own, and that's what he did today. We were always going to win till the time Yusuf was around," he said.
Pretty amazing
"We were in the game, but Pathan was pretty amazing," said losing skipper Daniel Vettori, who cannot be blamed for fancying his chances of a win after three straight losses in Guwahati, Jaipur and Vadodara.
"This is very special. To stay there till the end was critical and very satisfying," added Pathan, who missed out on a chance to bat in front of his home crowd in the last game at Vadodara because opener Gambhir and one-drop Kohli stayed unbeaten.
Earlier, slow bowler Pathan excelled with the ball. He removed the dangerous Scott Styris, Vettori and Kyle Mills.
Will New Zealand find pluck and luck when it comes to tacking India in the last one-dayer at Chennai on Friday. They last won on August 10 in Dambulla against India.
Will Santa give them an early Christmas gift in Chennai?
