Run better between wickets, says Amre

mumbai: don't run away from the challenge. in fact, run better between the wickets if you want to win it. that's praveen amre's advice for the indian cricket team on the south african tour. before you say 'amre who?' here's a ready reckoner. he is the durbanator by scoring a century on test debut at kingsmead on the 1992-93 tour before scoring a match-winning 84 at buffalo park, east london.chasing 200-plus india were reduced to 80 for four before amre stamped his authority on the game. recalled amre: "during that knock, me and vijay yadav put pressure on jonty rhodes by running singles by placing the ball on his wrong (left) side. once you put pressure on their best fielder, they get little shaken up. then, you have to seize your opportunity." indeed, amre dancing down the track and hammering allan donald over mid-off made a pleasing sight." the 33-year-old air-india employee recommends the same medicine on this tour too. "south africa is one of the most disciplined bowling sides. if you give them an inch, they will grab a mile. hence out batsmen have to be very selective," said amre. "it's important not only to have a sound technique but placement is crucial. india's fortunes on this tour, in both formats, will largely depend upon running between the wickets. it is paramount to take singles, rotate strike and disturb their rhythm." amre should know a thing or two about south african and their style of cricket. despite running out of favour of the indian cricket establishment, bowland (a south african club) invited him a couple of years ago. they lifted the standard chartered bank trophy (one-dayers) with amre scoring 79 against lance klusener and shaun pollock in one of the matches. on the cricket set-up in south africa, amre said: "india has a lot to learn from them. they are thorough professionals. it's not for nothing that they have caught up with rest of the world despite being banned for more than 20 years. their domestic games are played on a 110-overs-a-day basis which increases players' stamina. with two white balls and one bouncer per over for one-dayers, even batsmen are tested. with test cricket being played with 90 overs per day, adjusting to this grade becomes that much easier for their first-class plares. moreover, they pick their teams according to the conditions. for example, the ball moves a lot in coastal areas like durban. so they will pick an extra seamer there." ah, those durban memories. amre was in the indian squad after his consistent performances in the domestic season, including a record 246 in the irani trophy. but he had to warm the reserve bench for more than 10 tests spreading almost two years. dubbing him a domestic wonder, doubts were raised about his ability on testing conditions. and then, fitting to the indian tradition, he was picked for the first test at durban, the fastest wicket in south africa. said amre: "when i came to know that i'm playing the test, the message was clear: prove yourself now. in this game. or be ready for the sack." when amre walked in to bat, india were reduced to 38 for four. by the time he finished his business (103), he had ensured a respectable total for india (277) with kiran more chipping in with a fighting 67. amre's knock may not had a charisma of tendulkar. but it was a hell of an effort against the likes of donald, brett schultz, brian mcmillan and meyrick pringle. "left-armer schutlz was the best of the lot," said amre. "he had everything. but injury hampered his career." what was the best memories of the durban knock? "most importantly, it did not go in vain as we drew the test," said amre. "whenever i watch the video tape of the game, i feel quite emotional after seeing one man (abu) hugging me after i completed the century. i was some 30-odd overnight. and he told me then that i would score a century and he break all security to congratulate me. on that tour, the hospitality was exceptional with so many indians around to support and help us." after scoring a hundred at durban, amre felt he would be picked for a one-dayers on the same ground. but that was not to be. he got the opportunity in east london only because some player backed out at the last moment. there are many who believe that amre was treated shabbily by the selectors. his test average of 40-plus and crucial knocks in one-dayers (including a fifty against south africa in the 1993 hero cup semifinal at kolkata), perhaps, justifies this assessment. however, the man himself has no regrets. "despite things not going my way, i'm indebted to the game of cricket. instead of saying that my glass is half empty, i would say it's partly filled. being not from a well-to-do family, i had to leave mumbai and accept a secured job in the railways." apart from mumbai and railways, amre represented rajasthan, bengal and goa. that hampered his progress in international cricket. "i had to change teams to get picked for zonal teams and be in the running for india cap," he said. "but due to that i was always considered as an outsider. there was no one who backed me completely. rumours were spread that i'm asthmatic. that also acted against me. despite having two fruitful seasons in domestic cricket, selectors did not have enough faith in me. but i'm glad that things have improved. under saurav ganguly's leadership, players are getting enough chances to prove themselves." amre takes great pride in the fact that despite all odds, he toured south africa seven years after his maiden tour and proved himself by scoring against quality attacks. as india plays their first international game of the african safari in october 5, amre's heart is with the team. and what's his parting gift to ganguly and his men? ``watch out for new fielding sensation justing ontong and paceman charl langeveldt. while batting on the south african tracks, you have to be selective yet aggressive. you won't get many opportunities against them. but you have to fight and remain optimistic. remember that well begun is half done."