In the doldrums last season, Tamil Nadu is back this year. The transformation has been striking.
“From everyone I spoke to, this much was clear — respect for Tamil Nadu as a powerhouse in domestic cricket has returned,” said selection panel chief M. Senthilnathan to The Hindu on Monday.
The side bucked the odds to reach the final of the Vijay Hazare one-day tournament and has now topped its group to qualify for the next stage of the Syed Mushtaq Ali competition.
Senthil said “discipline on and off the field,” was the principal reason behind Tamil Nadu’s revival.
He observed, “We were very clear about that. With discipline come focus and improved performances.”
Consistency
Consistency in selection was another area of importance for Senthilnathan and his panel. “We needed to be completely convinced about a player’s ability before picking him. And once picked, we wanted to give him a run, not dump him soon.”
Senthil elaborated, “We have to persist with cricketers we have faith in.”
Dinesh Karthik’s captaincy has made a huge difference to the side, felt Senthil. “He motivates the player, instils belief, is proactive. He has batted well, handled the bowlers capably.”
Senthil said, “For instance, in the Vijay Hazare game against Gujarat, Dinesh kept the pacemen away when Parthiv Patel, who generally attacks the seamers, opened the batting. He started with the off-spinner and the plan worked.”
Find of season
Shahrukh Khan had been a find this season, said Senthil. “We needed someone at No. 6 or 7, who could get us quick vital runs in the end overs. Shahrukh is a powerful hitter.”
B. Aparajith has batted with confidence, said Senthil. “He has been enterprising.”
Among the bowlers, spinners R. Sai Kishore and M. Ashwin have been among wickets. “Karthik has used them wisely,” noted Senthil.
And among the pacemen, G. Periyaswamy and T. Natarajan have been making inroads for the State side. Senthil said, “Periyaswamy has got a good yorker and a deceptive slower one. Natarajan has been lively. The fielders have backed the bowlers.”
Top-order batsman
While Washington Sundar’s off-spin in the shorter formats has been very useful, Senthil said the all-rounder was also a proper top-order batsman. “We will try him as an opener in the shorter variety. He has commitment and potential.”
This has been a season where Tamil Nadu is turning things around. Bigger challenges loom.
