It's great to get my first hundred, says Pathan

Vettori refuses to blame rain interruption for defeat

“It’s great to get my first hundred, but I am happier because we won the match. That we are leading 4-0 in the series gives me great pleasure,” said the man-of-the-match Pathan.

Pathan came to bat with India 108 for four in the 20th over, needing a further 218 for victory. “There was a lot of time to prove myself,” he noted.

“I had enough overs in hand, and I sensed an opportunity to play a long innings. With Rohit and Saurabh, we rotated the strike well and kept in touch with the run rate. At no stage did I feel we were going to lose the game.

“At the rain break, Gautam told me to utilise the Power Play to good effect. He advised me not to throw my wicket away, and said if I stayed in the middle till the end, I would win the match for India. I am glad I proved him right.”

Dedicating the century to his parents, Pathan said he was delighted his brother Irfan too was watching the match.

“I don’t change my natural game,” he went on. “But of late, I am trying to spend some time in the middle before going for my strokes. But if there is an opportunity tot hit the ball, I will not hesitate to do so.”

Kiwi skipper Daniel Vettori acknowledged that Pathan was the difference between the teams.

“We had a defendable total, our batsmen did well, especially James Franklin. He scored 98 off 69 balls and that was pretty impressive but in the end, Yusuf took the game away from us. He took his time, hit those big shots and made the most of the third Power Play.”

Vettori refused to blame the rain interruption or a wet outfield for the defeat. The rain-break affects the momentum of both teams,” the Kiwi captain remarked. “There were no issues with gripping the ball.”

This was New Zealand’s tenth straight one-day loss, and they have one final opportunity to salvage some pride, in Chennai on Friday. “We think we can still do it (win matches). We will approach the next game like the way we do every game.”