Tamil Nadu skipper Sai Kishore celebrates the fall of a Saurashtra wicket on Friday in Coimbatore. (BCCI Domestic/X)
A good Ranji season is usually followed by Tamil Nadu committing hara-kiri the following season. It is a pattern that has repeated over the past few years. But Day 1 of a new Ranji season, Tamil Nadu have more reasons to be optimistic. With their pace pack – the weak link in the team – delivering in partnership, they shut out Saurashtra for 203 in the opening round of the Ranji Trophy fixture at the SNR College Grounds in Coimbatore.
Despite making the semi-finals last season, this is a new-look Tamil Nadu side. They sprung a surprise when the team sheets were exchanged at the toss. They handed three debuts – two to seamers Gurjapneet Singh and Sonu Yadav with Vijay Shankar’s name missing from the XI. While it was revealed as a precautionary measure given his recent injury issues, that he took the field as a substitute raised eyebrows. But TN appeared a side that wants to build on from the momentum they gained last season. In L Balaji they have a new head coach and support staff. They have a new-look young selection committee led by 39-year-old K Vasudevadas.
And with just three home fixtures lined up this season and fully aware that away legs against Delhi, Assam, Railways and Jharkhand have the potential to be a tricky encounters if the conditions are seamer-friendly, TN appeared prepared. Having relied on flat decks that undergo wear and tear and turners at home, they rolled out a green track and fielded three seamers in the XI despite the absence of Sandeep Warrier.
“It is Bala bhai’s style of play,” captain R Sai Kishore said. “He feels that fast bowlers are going to win you the Ranji Trophy. So, we are going to keep fast bowlers alive, how we are going to make fast bowlers also share the total tally of wickets. That will make a huge difference in the field. I learned watching others during the Duleep Trophy how to handle pacers. So straightaway stepping in was good,” he said.
That Saurashtra won the toss and elected to bat first offered them the opportunity to make the most of the green track. That there was dampness because of seasonal rains, helped as well as Sonu started Saurashtra’s slide by removing Harvik Desai in the fourth over for a nought. He then had Parswaraj Rana dismissed off a no-ball, as Saurashtra started tentatively. And once the two debutants completed their first spell, it was the less celebrated M Mohammed, who has a history of stepping up at crucial junctures, who broke Saurashtra’s back. With a relentless line outside off-stump, his fuller length and movement was troubling Chirag Jani and Rana. And in successive overs, he had both caught in the cordon as Saurashtra took lunch at 88/3.
Pujara loses the battle to Sai Kishore
On a day where the pacers called the shots, Tamil Nadu’s captain R Sai Kishore had his moments under the sun as well. During their quarterfinal clash earlier this year at the same venue, he had a gripping battle with Cheteshwar Pujara. Back then Sai Kishore had leaned on Hanuma Vihari to know how to keep Pujara, an excellent player of spin bowling, quiet. This time he didn’t need to as from the moment Pujara came in, the left-arm spinner pinned him to the crease.
Despite the pitch not offering turn, he tested Pujara’s edges repeatedly with several of the batsman’s leaves missing the off-stump narrowly. The “oooohs and aaahs” weren’t bothering Pujara and until Sai Kishore sent down an unplayable one, third ball after the lunch. It needs something special to take out Pujara and this one from Sai Kishore that landed on middle and leg line, just spun enough to beat the batsman’s defence. Pujara was totally squared up. “It came out well. I’m very grateful. I can’t say I did it. I felt it instinctively. For everything to happen, all credits to the Lord. But I’m very happy. When you take a class player’s wicket, on such a pitch with the ball just slightly turning away (points skywards)” Sai Kishore said.
And once Sai Kishore gave the lift, Mohammed followed it up in the next over by removing Sheldon Jackson as Saurashtra’s slide continued. Thereafter Sai Kishore and Pradosh Ranjan Paul chipped in with a couple of strikes before Sonu came back to clean up the tail. But not before Arpit Vasavada – Saurashtra’s crisis man – came up with a typically fighting knock. With Prerak Mankad and captain Jaydev Unadkat providing some solidity, his unbeaten 62 took Saurashtra past 200.
Brief scores: Saurashtra 202 (Arpit Vasavada 62 n.o, Chirag Jani 34; Sonu Yadav 3/30, M Mohammed 3/38, R Sai Kishore 3/52) vs TN 0/0.
