The Hindu : Mumbai applied itself better

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Saturday, May 10, 2003

Sport

Sport - Cricket

Mumbai applied itself better

BY K. SRIKKANTH

My congratulations to Mumbai for winning the Ranji Trophy but I must say it was a wonderful opportunity missed by Tamil Nadu. Chances like these come rare and I expected Tamil Nadu to cash in on it.

Having restricted Mumbai to 260 in the first innings and being 202 for three at one stage, Tamil Nadu could have so easily put the match beyond the host. Instead, it allowed the home team to come back. The point where the match was won and lost.

Just imagine the kind of impact Hemang Badani's century in the second innings, or Sadagopan Ramesh's effort in the first would have made if Tamil Nadu had actually pulled it off.

Everyone notices a winning side, and the performances of the Tamil Nadu players, in a victorious effort would have received more attention. There is a world of difference between lifting the trophy and making the final.

The Tamil Nadu boys would have got two more opportunities to present their credentials before the selectors — the Irani Trophy match, and a tour game against a visiting side. Now, Mumbai has earned itself these games.

It would do Tamil Nadu little good to console itself saying the team had entered the final. We have to look at the causes for Tamil Nadu's defeat. Detecting and correcting the flaws would only help the side perform better next season.

I felt Tamil Nadu had a rather longish tail, and it was this chink in the side, that enabled Mumbai to claw its way back in the first innings. There is not much batting after S. Sharath, and it was this lack of depth that enabled Mumbai to restrict Tamil Nadu. Tamil Nadu desperately requires all-rounders.

The State should also unearth a couple of spinners who could be developed into quality bowlers. That the land of V.V. Kumar and S. Venkatraghavan is rather thin in the department of spin these days is indeed sad.

In contrast to the Tamil Nadu side, Mumbai, with quite a lot of new faces, performed when it mattered. A youngster like Nishit Shetty, handling the pressure of a Ranji Trophy final, notched up a valuable second innings century.

Wasim Jaffer enhanced his claims for an India recall by delivering in both the innings, leg-spinner Sairaj Bahutule did his cause no harm during the match, and Ajit Agarkar, such an asset to the Mumbai side, was the pick among the pacemen in the match.

Importantly, Mumbai applied itself better. Sadly, it was application that was lacking in Tamil Nadu. Hemang Badani fought well, but the others appeared to have given up mentally, when set a target of 377 in the fourth innings.

The pitch had not deteriorated to such an extent that Tamil Nadu's task had become an impossible one. The batsmen had to stay at the wicket, had to be careful about their shot-selection and the runs would have come.

Tamil Nadu had more experience than Mumbai, but it was the home team that managed to find the right answers. Mumbai displayed character in wriggling out of a tight situation. All credit to them.

www.kris-srikkanth.com

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