NOTTINGHAM: Sreesanth has this uncanny ability to get the crowd behind him... or against him. He has been charged up since Thursday itself once it became clear that he was playing this Test.
He was the first to head towards the ground in the morning but probably one of the last to enter it too. He stopped in his tracks just near the boundary and, to the shock of Ishant Sharma who was walking with him, went down on his haunches.
For the next few minutes, he carried out all his rituals and even prayed vigorously, unmindful of the world around him. Sachin Tendulkar had a bemused look on his face as he went past him. Finally, Sreesanth got up and took his place in the huddle.
He had to wait for 11 overs, though, before being asked to become a part of the action. Off his fourth delivery itself, he drew blood to the delight of India's fans. The real fun, however, began when he came back for his second spell.
Yet again, he struck in his first over, claiming an edge from Kevin Pietersen; three deliveries later, however, he tried to claim a mischievous wicket. A leading edge from Ian Bell fell almost a yard short; but Sreesanth dived forward, took it on the bounce and flung the ball high in the air as if he had taken it cleanly.
Dhoni and Dravid who had a clear view were not amused at all; Sreesanth, realizing that he was not getting any support from anybody looked up to see that the ball was going to land somewhere near the leg umpire. He immediately scrambled to his feet, hoping to cut off any accruing single. Comical.
The Trent Bridge crowd, however, didn't see anything funny in it. The moment it saw his chicanery, it started booing him. For the rest of the day he had to endure boos and shouts of cheat, cheat; it became louder and in his face each time he went closer to the boundary.
Wasim Akram looked pleased as Sreesanth went on the rampage. "He is bowling well, isn't it," he remarked. When asked about the long chat he had with Sreesanth just before the day's play he simply smiled.
" Yes, I spoke to him. I simply asked him to be patient," he said. It may not have been easy advice for the hyper-active seamer but he gave it his best shot. It eventually paid off though.
Incidentally, the first player to race towards him, almost each time, was Harbhajan Singh. Clearly, all's well between the two now.
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