Ranji Trophy: Pacer Sandeep Warrier plays part as Tamil Nadu show Cheteshwar Pujara and holders Saurashtra door | Cricket News

As the final Saurashtra wicket fell at 5.10 PM, the celebration in the Tamil Nadu came was muted. They had earned a place in the Ranji Trophy semi-finals for the first time in seven years, and had got there defeating the defending champions and the most consent red-ball team in the last five years, Saurashtra, an innings and 33 runs inside three days.But, this is a side that is definitely not content with this achievement. With each passing game, the hunger only seems to grow. They will face heavyweights Mumbai or Baroda in the semi-finals later this week, but whoever it is, they ought to take this Tamil Nadu side – that is without a Ranji title since 1987-88 – seriously.
Having started Day 3 with a lead of 117, Tamil Nadu took it to 155 in the first session on Sunday at the SNR College grounds. On a two-paced pitch with variable bounce – certain balls kept low, and some jumped off the rough patches – even with Cheteshwar Pujara in their ranks, it was always going to be a tall order for Saurashtra.
And as expected, Pujara, who was offered a life on 2 with Vimal Khumar dropping him at short-leg off R Sai Kishore’s bowling, fought a lone battle.
Sticking to his successful method, Pujara quietly went about tiring the Tamil Nadu attack, taking 170 balls for his 46. He hit five boundaries, but took 164 deliveries to get the other 26 runs, showing the sort of patience and grind that is missing on the domestic circuit.
But even as Pujara dead-batted ball after ball, with the odd one missing his outside edge, the Tamil Nadu bowlers didn’t relent. They kept it tight, bowling mostly in the line of the stumps with a flat trajectory, with fielders placed in his scoring areas, thus denying him easy runs.
It was fitting that Sai Kishore – Player of the Match – removed Pujara as part of his four-wicket haul in the innings to go with his five in the first. The tall left-arm spinner now has 47 wickets – the most any bowler in the Elite group this season, with fellow left-arm spinner S Ajith Ram sitting with 41 wickets.
Although it was yet another match where the two left-arm spinners came to the forefront, it is hard to overlook the vital role played pacer Sandeep Warrier. On slow pitches that they have opted to have at home, Warrier has been their unsung hero for Tamil Nadu. Operating with the new ball in tandem with M Mohammed, with the old ball it is Warrier that the two spinners turn to when they need control at the other end. Without any movement and in unhelpful conditions, Warrier has bowled his heart out, often finding breakthroughs with the old ball, generating lift and a bit of reverse-swing. The 23 wickets he has so far is a reward for the hard work he has put in with the team’s bowling coach Lakshmipathy Balaji.
Starting the slide
Having picked two wickets in the first innings at crucial junctures in the first innings, on Sunday it was Warrier who started Saurashtra’s slide with twin blows with the new ball. He trapped Harvik Desai with one that nipped back in and off the first ball of the second session, sent Sheldon Jackson’s middle-stump for a walk. Once he had provided the opening, the two spinners took over.
“The only thing Bala bhai (Balaji) has been telling me is to take the pitch out of the equation. When you do that, most of the time, it is you battling against yourself. So that is what I’ve been trying to do and it has helped me. If you think the pitch is slow and there is no bounce, you will feel low about it. You may not give 100 percent and become defensive. But when you take the pitch out of the equation, the only intent is to get wickets. Skill- wise, I cannot replicate Balaji, but the mental aspect and the ability to bowl long spells I can definitely replicate,” Warrier said.
With Warrier finding the right notes, bowling – which was Tamil Nadu’s worry in the past, is now winning them games. The one on Sunday is their third innings win and so far they have taken the maximum possible 140 wickets in the 14 innings they have bowled in this Ranji campaign.
“This is a process that started two years ago when all of us came together. Last year, we took 130 wickets in seven matches. This time, we have gone a step further. Last season, despite picking up momentum, we couldn’t make it to the knockouts, but we have carried the same form into this season. It is all about sharing the responsibility and with Mohammad and Ajith Ram around, we are more rounded. Tactically as well, we have been planning a lot and executing as well,” Warrier said.
Last season, when they defeated Saurashtra in their last league match, Tamil Nadu were packing their bags and bidding adieu to the Ranji season. This season, they are waiting to find out if they have to pack their bags for Mumbai or stay put in Coimbatore and face Baroda in the semi-finals.
Brief scores: Saurashtra 183 & 122 (Pujara 46; Sai Kishore 4/27, Sandeep Warrier 3/18) lost to Tamil Nadu 338 an innings and 33 runs