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Right time, right place

Mohammad Isam
It took one step on the right direction for Younis Khan to snap out of his
slump. After he drove Irfan Pathan off the very first ball he faced and the ball trickled over the off-side perimeter, he raised his bat towards the dressing room. Was it a sign of releasing pent up frustration or just sharing a joke with his teammates?
Before yesterday's Kitply Cup final against India, right-handed Younis has had a stinker of a time. Starting from his wretched form for Indian . Premier League side Rajasthan Royals, he had the dubious record of scoring two ducks in a row -- having faced just a single delivery. In the opening match against Bangladesh, Younis was beaten by Rokibul Hasan's throw from short mid-wicket and was short of the crease without having
faced a ball and against India in the second match, he edged a Pravcen Kumar delivery off his firs t ball.
On Saturday though, Younis came out all guns blazing and from the moment he connected that first ball cover-drive, he made it his day. Known for his fearless personality and frequent mood swings, Younis started off in the shadows of younger partner Salman Butt, with whom he shared a 205-run stand for the second wicket. Salman flayed at anything short and wide and rotated the strike during his half-century that came off 78 balls.
Younis though, stroked his second boundary off his sixth delivery and that was all the boundaries he would score on the off-side as he shut up shop for the next 40 minutes of his stay. His straight-driven six off Virender Sehwag broke the shackles and he displayed a fantastic array of shots on the on-side. Almost every few deliveries, he would place the ball In the vast gaps and make sure every once in a while, a six or a four
came through to lessen the pressure on Salman, who by now was closing In on an unprecedented fifth ODI century against India
Piyush Chawla was at the receiving end of Younis's return to form as his next two sixes came off the young leggie and the Murdan born batsman stung the part-timers to make sure Mahendra Singh Dhoni got his pacemen back into the attack. 75 out of his total runs came through the on-side and all three of his sixes came through mid-wicket, best of which was his first one against Sehwag.
His partner at the other end, reached his century and knelt down to thank the Almighty and after that, cut loose against all comers to reach his first century in Dhaka.
Younis reached his ton with a single off Pathan, the same bowler he drove to break out of his run dearth. Younis ran the length of the pitch as he took off his helmet and acknowledged everyone present at the ground.