We have the feel of a champion team: J.Arun Kumar
R Vinay Kumar-led team is two wins away from the coveted trophy when DC caught up with coach J.Arun Kumar, excerpts.
Mohali: At the start of the 2014 Ranji Trophy season, not many would have tipped Karnataka as the team to beat.
Two months and ten matches on they’re singing a wholly different tune, backing the J.Arun Kumar-coached side as the unit that could finish the tournament as numero uno.
Having topped the league with an impressive 38 points, the R Vinay Kumar-led team is two wins away from the coveted trophy.
But the road till here hasn’t been smooth and the key men behind the success of the team are batting coach J. Arun Kumar and bowling coach Mansoor Ali Khan.
Tasked with the fortunes of a team which had more rookies than experienced players, the duo has done a commendable job in lifting the team to its current position.
As the team gears up for the semifinal clash against Punjab here, starting Saturday, Arun believes this team has all the trapping of a winning side, last seen in Karnataka in the season of 1998-99. Arun, a former attacking opener, who was a part of the winning team that season, is confident his boys have the spunk to beat the best.
The 38-year-old, in a candid conversation reflected on the team’s journey thus far.
On the approach this season:
What I was working from last year is for the boys to take the responsibility of the team and be responsible for their own actions. Sometimes they do go wrong, but we are there to guide them.
I’ve seen coaches keep sending messages to the team, but if you keep spoon-feeding these guys they are never going to learn to use their brains. So from last year what our team does is, bowlers have their own meeting and decide how to get the wickets and same goes with the batsmen too.
You often find one or two elements who want to go with the flow, but in this team everyone wants to win. They are all charged and believe they can beat anyone. As a result of which we have beaten the best in the competition.
On the influx of U-25 players in the team:
I thanked the coaches GK Anil and Naseer because they are ones who have given the confidence. They have done a commendable job. They’ve played together, they pull each others’ leg and they are like family.
Tournaments like Safi Darashah helped too because they know they need to spend certain number of hours to get wickets or runs.
On team bonding:
We’ve had a couple of good team bonding sessions, Robin (Uthappa) and I invited the boys over for lunch at our homes, it’s good to get to know each other personally also and all this has worked.
On the bench strength:
The bench strength has been tremendous. We had the option of trying out many players and most of them got 3-4 games. They will be (played) depending on the conditions.
Earlier there used to be a lot of cribbing when players are dropped, but that does not happen anymore.
The similarity between this team and the champion team of 1999:
This was the same feel we had when we won the Ranji Trophy. Everyone enjoyed the other guy’s performance. Even off the field we had a great time, teasing each other and (Javagal) Srinath used to be the prankster.
He would get the team together and this is happening in this team too. Every game 2-3 batsmen and an equal number of bowlers are contributing. It is not that one person is performing. It’s all shared and that is important.
Kerala U-25 concede Maha lead in C.K. Nayudu cricket
Kerala U-25 concede Maha lead in C.K. Nayudu cricket
Kozhikode: Kerala conceded a huge first innings lead of 280 runs against Maharashtra on the third day of the CK Nayudu Trophy under-25 semifinal in Thalassery on Thursday. In reply to the visitors’ 513, the home side were all out for just 233 runs in the first innings.
This is the first time Kerala is playing in the semifinals of the under-25 tourney, and their hopes for a historic final may have already been hit by conceding the lead in the four-day match.
Resuming the day at 65 for no loss, Kerala lost quick wickets on the day when Tripathi claimed five wickets for 46 runs to derail the hosts. After plunging to 131 for 6, it was Monish’s and Manu Krishnan’s 31-run knocks at the tail-end that helped Kerala sail past the 200-run mark.
Maharashtra reached 74 for 2 in reply at the end of the day’s play. Earlier, N.S. Naik hit a double century (217) to guide the visitors to the colossal score.
Brief scores
Maharashtra 513 in 157.4 overs (NS Naik 217, Abhishek Mohan 3/113) & 74 for 2 in 26 overs vs Kerala 233 in 78.5 overs (Vishnu Vinod 43, Tripathi 5/46)