Zeenews Bureau
Perth, Jan 19: The latest ‘comeback man’ of Indian cricket, Irfan Pathan, who played a vital role in India’s historic win, was adjudged Player of the Match. Speaking for the first time after the match, he said that he was ‘pretty happy’, after playing an important role in the team’s victory. Crediting his success to sheer hard work, he said, "The only thing I know is hard work and that’s what I keep doing".
Getting philosophical, he said that the bad times are a part of every successful cricketer’s career, and that he is just happy playing for the country. He mentioned India’s bowling coach Venkatesh Prasad as a ‘special influence’ in his comeback bid. " I also turn to Wasim (Akram) bhai and T Shekhar for advice.
Downplaying the all rounder tag for the zillionth time in his short career, he said that he perceives himself as a ‘bowler who can bat’. " I want to cement my place as a bowler first", he said.
Australian skipper Ricky Ponting admitted that the nature of the Perth wicket has surprised him. Defending his bowlers, especially the ‘wicket taking machine’ Shaun Tait, Ponting said that picking a four man pace attack, a move that backfired splendidly was a decision in accordance with the team’s policy of picking 11 best players, who suited match conditions. "A typical Perth wicket stays hard and bouncy for the first two days before flattening out. This time the bounce remained uneven", he said.
Ponting blamed his batsmen for the Perth debacle. "Bowlers did a fantastic job. Batsmen let us down", he said.
He refused to blame the post Sydney incidents for distracting his team’s focus, saying that ‘the Indians were as much involved in it as us’. He praised the young Indian bowling attack.
