A passive Kerala aspect did not qualify for the knockout spherical of the Ranji Trophy for the fifth straight season. The state got here fourth within the Elite Group B with 17 factors and completed 18th general amongst 32 groups within the competitors.
The staff managed to win just one match (towards Bengal). Even although it misplaced solely as soon as (to Mumbai), its failure to win any away matches towards lower-ranked groups – Bihar, Chhattisgarh and Assam – ended the qualification possibilities.
Ruinous batting collapses, besides towards Bengal and Andhra, noticed Kerala hand away the benefit to its rivals on a platter. The high order, besides Sachin Baby, flattered to deceive.
“The truth is coach M. Venkataramana had little time to work with the boys before the Ranji season. We failed to seize our moments.”Vinod S. Kumar, secretary of Kerala Cricket Association
Sachin stood tall amongst ruins to amass greater than 800 runs with 4 centuries. Apart from Sachin, Akshay Chandran (two centuries) and Shreyas Gopal (one century ) managed to attain greater than 200 runs for Kerala. Sanju Samson was unavailable for 3 matches and had a poor event with the bat.
The poor strategy of the top-order batters was uncovered within the swinging circumstances away from residence. Kerala misplaced early wickets within the must-win matches towards Bihar and Chhattisgarh and the first-innings totals in each matches have been insufficient to place stress on the rival staff.
Deliberate gradual batting for private milestones was detrimental to the staff’s trigger. The declaration was additionally delayed to facilitate gamers attain landmarks, and it in the end price the staff victories towards Andhra and Chhattisgarh.
The bowlers got here up with occasional sparks of brilliance. Medium pacers Basil Thampi, M. D. Nidheesh, N. P. Basil and Akhin Sathar bowled effectively in patches. Jalaj Saxena as soon as once more completed as the highest wicket-taker with 34 scalps.
Kerala’s Jalaj Saxena completed the event as his staff’s highest wicket-taker however his batting was a giant let-down.
| Photo Credit:
Vijay Soneji / The Hindu
Kerala’s Jalaj Saxena completed the event as his staff’s highest wicket-taker however his batting was a giant let-down.
| Photo Credit:
Vijay Soneji / The Hindu
But, aside from the spell (9 for 68) towards Bengal, Jalaj struggled to create an affect and his batting was a giant let-down. Illnesses affected Shreyas Gopal’s efficiency. Crucial catches have been put down however bowlers couldn’t be blamed for not making an attempt.
The staff mixture in some matches was baffling.
“Overall, it was a disappointing show by the team. The truth is coach M. Venkataramana had little time to work with the boys before the Ranji season. We failed to seize our moments. We will seek a report from the team management on the performance,” mentioned Vinod S. Kumar, the secretary of Kerala Cricket Association.
However, coach Venkataramana defended the staff and mentioned he was proud of the efficiency of the staff.
“It was a good performance considering that we were lying sixth with five points after four matches. This team has tremendous potential but there are gaps which we need to work on. We have to be patient with the boys,” he mentioned.
Source web site: sportstar.thehindu.com
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