‘Turning point was the second day’s first session’

“The turning point was the morning session on the second day when we cleaned up the lower half of the Maharashtra batting taking five wickets for just 33 runs,” said Karnataka vice-captain C. Gautam after his team won the Ranji Trophy final against Maharashtra here on Sunday.

“Then, batting to post a huge total and take a 210-run lead was another decisive factor,” Gautam said.

“The success story of many youngsters in this successful campaign is also a reflection of the bench strength we have. A lot of youngsters have been performing well in different age groups consistently and, more importantly, when they were given the chance they proved their mettle,” Gautam added.

Asked about the wicket, he said: “The pitch behaved right through the match in the same manner: on the slower side, and not much turn even on the final day.”

Maharashtra captain Rohit Motwani blamed the defeat on poor fielding and batting on the first two days.

“But, I must say, it has been a very satisfying journey to the Ranji final this season. It meant lot of hard work and self-belief. Only when we won the quarterfinal against Mumbai did we think that we can win Ranji Trophy,” Motwani said.

Neither Gautam not Motwani wanted to discuss the frequent verbal exchanges the players had on the field through the final.

“They are just part of the game, and should be left on the field,” they chimed.