Plays of the Day
Amit Varma25-Mar-2005When Younis Khan reached his century on the first day, he made adefiant gesture towards the pavilion, which was apparently meant forBob Woolmer, who had berated him for his first-ball dismissal on thefifth morning of the Kolkata Test. So here he headed for hisdouble-century, as Anil Kumble bowled to him from round the wicket,with two slips, cover, mid-off, mid-on, midwicket, square leg, shortfine leg and a man a bit wide of the long-leg boundary. “Drive methrough the spaces on the off side,” Kumble seemed to be saying, butYounis wasn’t tempted.Kumble, when he had bowled from over the wicket, had drifted down legoften, and he did so here again. Younis tickled it past the man atshort fine leg, and the ball rolled to the advertising hoardings.Younis pumped the air, took off his helmet, raised his arms. Therewere no gestures of defiance this time; just happiness at a job welldone.