Ranji Trophy: Kerala stick to mission go-green

KOCHI: Two days and a few hours on the third day. That’s all it took for the Kerala-Gujarat Ranji Trophy quarterfinal to get over at Krishnagiri Stadium in Wayanad last week. Barring a run out, 19 of the 20 Gujarat wickets were taken by Kerala’s pace trio of Basil Thampi (8), Sandeep Warrier (8) and MD Nidheesh (3).

Of the stipulated 450 overs to be bowled over a span of five days, the game was over in 181.4. Innings-wise, what the batting teams faced were 39.3, 51.4, 59 and 31.3 overs. It is fair to conclude that the pitch was a paradise for pace bowlers and hell for batsmen.  

When it comes to pitches, the official mandate from BCCI is, everything is supervised by a neutral curator, who reaches the venue a few days before a match and leaves only after it starts. In Kerala’s case, the pitch that was laid out played to their strengths.

They are again expecting a similar surface for the semifinal clash against defending champions Vidarbha, starting at the same venue from January 24. “Definitely we are expecting a pitch similar to the one against Gujarat. Fast bowling is our strength. So we are expecting a wicket like that. I think it will be a sporting wicket since it’s a semifinal,” Kerala skipper Sachin Baby said.

Vidarbha have enough firepower to rival Kerala pacers. India pacer Umesh Yadav had a match haul of nine against Uttarakhand in the quarterfinal. But Baby is unfazed. “Earlier in the season, we played against Bengal on a greentop. They had Mohammed Shami, but we won. So we are not thinking about opposition bowlers. Every team will have bowlers like that. We too have great bowlers. We are not worried about their strengths. We will go according to ours.”

Looking forward to a spicy wicket, Kerala are backing themselves in all departments. “We are coming into this game on a positive note. It is a big opportunity for us. We have put in a lot of effort throughout the season and this is the reward for that. Talent-wise, we are one of the best teams. Vidarbha have got players with more exposure in such situations, but our players are more talented. If we get a good start, then everyone is a match-winner and game-changer in our team. If two batsmen get runs, the match will tilt in our favour,” Baby said.