Rohan didn’t allow the Gujarat bowlers to settle down in either innings, playing well both off the front foot and back foot. Not often does a team chase down 214 from 41 overs on a fourth-day pitch in the Ranji Trophy. But Kerala romped home with overs to spare against Gujarat in an Elite Group A game on Sunday, thanks to Rohan Kunnummal’s rapid-fire century.
The 23-year-old, on a red-hot streak, hit an unbeaten 106 off 87 balls (12×4, 3×6) in Rajkot, notching up his third consecutive hundred in the process. The right-handed opener had scored 129 in the first innings, on the heels of his 107 against Meghalaya in the previous game. Kerala had beaten Meghalaya by an innings and 166 runs in their opening fixture. Captain Sachin Baby’s 62 off 76 balls also contributed immensely to the eight-wicket win against Gujarat.
Rohan didn’t allow the Gujarat bowlers to settle down in either innings, playing well both off the front foot and the back foot, and also taking the aerial route, through inside-out cover drives and flicks over mid-wicket. Pull was another productive shot for him.
“I have been batting well but I didn’t expect to score three centuries in as many innings. The most satisfying thing is that I have been able to contribute to the team’s cause in our wins,” Rohan told indianexpress.com.
“We wanted to win the game but knew that the fourth innings chase could be tricky. At tea, Tinu sir (coach Tinu Yohannan) told me to carry on batting normally and if I did that runs would come easily. It was good that Sachin Baby was batting with me. He guided me through the innings and made sure that there was no pressure,” he added.
Baby was full of praise for the youngster. “Rohan has been working really hard on his game. He is not a single-format player and has been in good form across T20s, one-dayers and now four-day games. We missed a good opener after Jagadeesh retired. Now with him and Rahul P coming through, we have our opening problems sorted.”
Rohan has risen through the ranks, staying prolific across all age-group competitions. He made his first-class debut against Rajasthan in January 2020. Out for 8 in the first innings, he sustained an ankle injury and had to miss the rest of the match and the season. The Covid-induced break forced him to bide his time and wait for two more years to play another Ranji game.
Recuperating from the injury, Rohan made full use of the Covid break and worked on his fitness with trainer Vysakh Krishna, now the Kerala team’s strength coach, at his hometown Kozhikode.
“My strength and stamina have improved a lot. Earlier, I was very lean and used to get tired quickly. The strength and conditioning sessions with Vysakh helped me become fitter and play longer innings. Also, I can play lofted shots more effectively now,” said Rohan, who was the highest run-getter (264) for Kerala in the Vijay Hazare Trophy this season.
Rohan owes much of his development to his father Sushil Kunnummal, a university-level player back in the day. Sushil would bowl countless deliveries to a young Rohan, using a tennis ball from 13 yards out in the backyard, at his home in Koyilandy. The father-son duo still follows the routine.
“I think I have developed the ability to play pace bowling better because of the drills I have been doing with my father, using the tennis ball. We sometimes practise with a tape-ball too. My reflexes, I think, have quickened due to this and I have time to play my shots,” said Rohan.
Vinod, Nidheesh contribute
Besides Rohan and Sachin Baby, Kerala had other noteworthy contributors in this game. Fast bowler Nidheesh MD took a five-for in the first innings in challenging conditions. Basil Thampi gave crucial breakthroughs and finished with a six-wicket match haul. Vishnu Vinod scored a timely hundred to ensure that his team took the first-innings lead. Jalaj Saxena wrapped up the Gujarat second innings on the fourth day, giving the batsmen just enough time to execute a clinical chase. All of them contributed to a memorable win that took Kerala level on points with Madhya Pradesh. The two teams, on 13 points each, will face each other in the next game to decide the group-toppers.
Brief scores: Gujarat 388 (Het Patel 185, Karan Patel 120; Nidheesh MD 5/54, Basil Thampi 4/118) & 264 (Karan Patel 81, Umang Kumar 70; Jalaj Saxena 4/57, Sijomon Joseph 3/48) lost to Kerala 439 (Rohan Kunnummal 129, Vishnu Vinod 113, Sachin Baby 53; Siddharth Desai 5/132, Arzan Nagwaswalla 3/102) & 214/2 (Rohan Kunnummal 106*, Sachin Baby 62) by 8 wickets.
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