Saurashtra look to stay at home away against Services

Kotak feels the eroding batting skills of domestic cricketers should be blamed instead of the Rajkot pitch.

Three outright wins from as many games, two of them wrapped up in just a couple of days. Top of Group C with 19 points, their star all-rounder leading the wicket-takers list by a big margin. Ravindra Jadeja’s 37 wickets from 3 games have even earned him a Test recall. Saurashtra hope this dream start will see them qualify for the last eight and get promoted to domestic circuit’s elite ‘A’ and ‘B’ groups.

Training at Palam enjoying Delhi’s soft sunshine and the early winter coziness, the Saurashtra bunch comes across as team that is pleased with itself. Not with the world, you find out soon. Just the other day, Sunil Gavaskar, hinting that Saurashtra was in a habit of doctoring the pitches, floated the idea of BCCI pitch-inspectors dispatched to venues like Rajkot. The Saurashtra camp whisper their displeasure about the comments that they say undermines their win and Jadeja’s performance. They skip Gavaskar’s name as they defend the pitch for the first three games, not willing to get into a debate with the voice of Indian cricket. That challenge was taken this morning by BCCI’s old hand and Saurashtra’s secretary Niranjan Shah. He asked the cricketer-turned-commentator to be responsible.

Saurashtra has carried one other grudge to Delhi. This one concerns the absence of their star batsmen Cheteshwar Pujara and Sheldon Jackson. Both are in Mumbai, representing Board President XI, providing a strong opposition to South Africa, who are warming up for the Test series that starts next week. A senior Saurashtra player, again not willing to be quoted, says the BCCI needs to get its priorities right. “Just tell us one thing. Is the BCCI more concerned about giving good practise to South Africa or is domestic cricket their priority. Pujara wouldn’t be available after his round anyways. A win here would have confirmed our quarter-final qualification,” says a player.

Team’s coach Shitanshu Kotak joins the discussion which shifts once again to the question of doctored pitches. Kotak has been on road during these Ranji months since 1992-93, the season he made his first class debut. All through his playing days, and since last year when he was appointed coach, he has heard enough pitch-doctoring allegations.

Another member of team’s support staff joins the team huddle. He mentions Gavaskar’s name but hold back. On second thoughts he talks about Jadeja. “When he scores 300 runs, they say its a flat track and thus belittling his efforts. Now, he has 37 wickets, the pitch is doctored,” he says. They all have hearty laugh. Kotak is still agitated, maybe hurt. “The criticism is unfair. If a Test was played on that track, it would have easily lasted for four days,” he says.

The new coach, who still travels to England as a player cum coach, says that the outrage should be directed at the eroding batting skills of domestic cricketers. “You need to have correct footwork. Batsmen don’t need to be committed on the front foot all the time. Too much T20 cricket means players don’t know how to defend balls to play on a turning track. They need to have the skill of playing cricket’s long form,” he says. To make his point, he says how Jharkhand scored close to 170 runs before lunch on the opening day and about 375 runs were on board at the end of Day 1. “If it was a under-prepared track, these many runs couldn’t be scored.” He also adds how Saurashtra scored 200 plus in the third innings and easily chased a small target in the 4th inning in the next game.

Palam and Services will provide a different challenge to the team. A track with a tinge of green and dipping temperature means that it will be the pacers and not spinners, who will be bowling long spells. “It’s an open ground, the pitch is greenish plus the outfield is great so there will be no wear and tear on the ball. We have a balanced team and we have players to exploit the conditions,” he says. In a far corner of the field, former Test pacer Jaydev Unadkat is warming up. This will be Saurashtra’s chance of show that they have horses for away-courses.