But Irfan Pathan, signing autograph and flashing his trademark smile while posing with fans at the end of day's play at Karnail Singh Stadium, doesn't come across as someone under undue pressure to perform. After his seven-wicket match haul at home against UP in the opening Ranji game, he finished the opening day of Baroda's second game of the season against Railways with four wickets.

Quite confident that he will once again be in the national team Pathan says, "I have always been a rhythm bowler and think it's the same for others too. I wouldn't say I was not in rhythm when I was dropped from the Indian team, only the performance didn't show."

Even when he is reminded of the phenomenal performance of the main bowlers in the Tests and ODIs, besides the long list of pacers waiting in the wings, Pathan isn't perturbed. "There was a similar situation when I played for India. Then too, there was competition between four-five bowlers," he says.

The left-arm pacer says he was quite happy with the way his Ranji season has started. "I think I'm in one of my finest rhythms ever. You learn a lot bowling on the domestic pitches as they are different everywhere. In Baroda, the pitch was quite helpful. Today there were a few dropped catches too, but I'm pleased with the effort, especially when I broke the crucial partnership (between Mahesh Rawat and Karan Sharma)," he adds.

Such is his confidence that Pathan even puts in a word for rookie pace partner Salim Veragi, who took three of the four wickets that fell today. "His support from the other end was crucial," he says.

But even when Veragi was taking wickets, Pathan at the other end was making the ball talk. There was one ball from the left-arm pacer early in the day that gave a glimpse of vintage Pathan. Bowling to Railways skipper Sanjay Bangar, he got one to dart back suddenly and hit the batsman's pads. Though the umpire didn't uphold the loud appeal, one thing was sure: Pathan is making the right kind of noises on the domestic circuit.