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Pakistan bounce back brilliantly
For any team to beat India in a test match on their home soil is a tremendous achievement. The Australians who have asserted their supremacy as the best in the world are the only team ever to dominate wherever they go. In recent times they have conquered India and New Zealand.

Pakistan on the other hand arrived in India as a deflated lot. They had been rolled over by the mighty Aussies and without their main strike bowler Shoaib Akthar. Since the rebuilding began, after the 2003 world Cup it has been a rocky path for them. They have had some good spells, but equally have stumbled badly too. On one such occasion after being defeated by India at home, they sacked their coach Javed Mianded - a past legend.

In his place Bob Woolmer got appointed. It was an appointment that he had a lot to lose. An established coach and a 'guru' on the game, it must have been the challenge that would have lured him to Pakistan. Whatever the reason, he is there and that nation must make the most of him before he is released.

Talent and ability are the important factors when unearthing and playing cricketers at any level. However, those two factors must be converted to performance by the individual. Pakistan have tried many youngsters in the past couple of years. Many have fallen by the wayside because they failed to perform. A national team which is re-building will have players of three categories. The experienced and the established players, players with some experience striving to establish themselves and the new up-and-coming breed. In the first category, two players Inzamam-ul-haq and Shoaib Akthar must get one hundred percent fit and stay fit for their team's mission to be successful.

The major plus factor of recent times for Pakistan is the coming good of Younis Khan, Mohamed Sami and Dinesh Kaneria. Khan's 267 in the recently concluded test match should give him the confidence to believe he is now established. Should he continue to sharpen his technique then the future is rosy for him. Sami has deceptive pace, late movement and can be surprisingly quick. He too needs to maintain fitness and spend time in the gym to physically strengthen his frame. Kaneria has narrowed the gap between himself, Anil Kumble and Shane Warne. As he continues to bowl and bowl, batsmen will become familiar with playing the leg break. Now he must work on developing the variations and perfecting them. Shane Warne's success was entirely due to the rapid progress he made in that direction.

The other encouraging factor for them is that Shahid Afridi is repaying the faith put on him by coming out with useful contributions in the long game too. He is immensely talented; it is temperament that is the question mark. The youngsters led by Yasir Hameed are striving to find their feet. Their greatest satisfaction would have been holding on to a draw in the first test against the Indians and then winning the third one. Being 1-0 down can always be a big psychological disadvantage. But then, Inzamam playing in his one hundreth test led the way and Younis took the cue from his leader and a famous victory was achieved.

That draw and the subsequent win displayed tremendous character. Qualities of an united, focused and determined team. In fact their 'A' team presently in Sri Lanka has had tremendous run winning all five one dayers that they played. Many of them are also knocking on the door for higher honours. It all augurs well for Pakistan cricket.

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