Paresh Lohani: The Resurrection

Paresh Lohani’s century in the first innings against Singapore was a kind of resurrection for the long-serving national cricketer. His 103 not only made him the only batsman to score two centuries for Nepal but also justified the faith of the team management on him.

Coming into the match, he had a string of failures with his scores of 4, 1, 4, 14, 10, 1 and 7 in the last seven innings (including one-dayers) making a sorry reading. And, there were murmurs that he was in the team just because the team couldn’t afford to go with two new openers.

Missing flamboyant Kaniskha Chaugai, his long-time opening partner who went to USA for further studies, may have been one of the reasons for his slump. “We had got together well,” he says. “But after he went, we have been in trouble and the opening stand was not going great.”

As the senior and experienced opener, he had to take more responsibility for scoring runs and that probably took toll. He was not getting runs, ‘Unluckily getting out after being set’ — as he puts, and reading coach Roy Dias’ quotes —‘The seniors are not getting runs and they should prove that they have something (in them) to deserve a place in Nepal’s national team’ must have put added pressure on him.

The match against Singapore gave the best chance to prove his worth. He had played particularly well against Singapore — scoring two fifties and a century in the last four innings and the match was going to be at his home town. Being a master opportunist that he is, he did exactly what the situation, critics and team was asking for at the most opportune of times.

“I am very satisfied,” he says. “This was the match in which I was feeling like I should score.” He admits his confidence level was a little low after the loss against UAE but that didn’t stop him from scoring 103 runs off 199 balls — an innings that restored his and the fans’ confidence in him.

His century propelled Nepal to the first innings total of 313/9 — the biggest score the national team has ever scored — and to a 205-run victory, the biggest victory so far. Although, Mehboob Alam, the man-of-the-match with two half-centuries and three wickets, and captain Binod Das, who took nine wickets, took the sheen out of his knock, he was the hero of the match for many.

The most successful batsman in two-innings matches for the country, Paresh now has 785 runs with two centuries and two fifties from 13 matches. He has now scored 410 runs in just three matches against Singapore with all his four landmarks coming against the Singaporeans. “I feel Singaporeans are friendly people,” he jokes. “I don’t know why but I was under no pressure whatsoever against them.”

Paresh has also had a brief stint as a captain and is the only player to score back-to-back centuries in the domestic league. Now with two centuries at international level, the Kathmanduite is beaming with confidence and is looking forward to repeating the batting performance against Malaysia in Nepal’s last league match of the ACC Premier League.

Statistics

785 runs @ average of 32.71 from 26 innings
(in two-innings matches)

Best Knocks
103 vs Singapore, at Kathmandu, 2006
101* vs Singapore, at Singapore, 2005
76 vs Singapore, at Singapore, 2004
71 vs Singapore, at Singapore, 2005
49 vs UAE, at UAE, 2004
49 vs Hong Kong, at Hong Kong, 2004