PRITHVI DATTA CHANDRA SHOBHI writes: Yes, all the cliches you hear during a Test match or ODI commentary are true—“It was a fitting finale,” “The result did not matter,” “The game was the ultimate winner”—and I don’t say this as a fan of the losing team.
Indeed, at the end of the four innings, there was little to differentiate between the two teams, although the scorecard would find six runs. Bombay had more experience playing, more experience winning. Karnataka had oodles of youth and one incandescent star flickering to life in this match.
And boy, did the shimmer off Manish Pandey‘s willow light up the ocean of learning (Manasagangothri) this morning!?
We had seen both teams exhibit almost everything that two top teams playing in a cricketing nation’s top domestic match should: good bowling, fantastic catching and great fighting spirit. But what had been missing the first three days, was the X factor that has crowds ooh-ing and aah-ing.
That was delivered to the Gangotri Glades by a 20-year-old. For nearly two hours, Manish Pandey elevated batting to levels not seen in the past three days. Perhaps, with the exception of Wasim Jaffer no other player in either side was even capable of coming close to those standards.
It wasn’t merely that Pandey batted freely, his 144 coming off a mere 151 balls. His shot selection and stroke-making was top-notch, and he dismissed everything thrown at him at him imperiously.
At times, it seemed to me that Pandey wasn’t batting to win the match.
He wasn’t competing with the Bombay bowlers.
For all he cared, they could have been local bowlers at the nets. The challenging circumstances Karnataka was facing at the final hurdle to a seventh crown didn’t seem to matter. He just batted at a high level simply, perhaps, because that’s what comes naturally to him.
When batting is elevated to such heights, opponents and circumstances do not matter.
The scorecard says he made 85 runs off 80 balls this morning, with 9 fours and a six. His elegant and highly cultured strokeplay simplified batting to his partner, Ganesh Satish, with whom he added 209 runs. Karnataka were 255 for 3, when Pandey got out and Karnataka needed another 85 runs, which looked gettable within an hour-and-a-half, since Pandey and Satish had scored at a run a minute.
One wishes Pandey had stayed at the wicket until the end, if only to see how he would have batted under pressure as the target became smaller. Perhaps, such challenges are more appropriate for workman-like batsmen, whose forte is patience and temperament, and who specialise in eliminating risk and accumulating runs.
The fourth-wicket partnership between Pandey and Satish should have been a match winning partnership, but this young Karnataka team found a way to lose the game. Home team supporters would point at a couple of poor umpiring decisions, but the fact remains that this match could have easily gone the other way.
The atmosphere at Glades was electric, with overflowing crowd watching the game from trees, light poles and any other place, which offered a view of the field. Nearly 10,000 people cheered the home team lustily, and the Glades offered a fantastic setting for this game.
After the match, Wasim Jaffer defended the visitors’ decision to bat first, even though the wicket had moisture and helped seam bowling. Jaffer said they expected the pitch to be soft initially and then get hard, which made batting difficult on the second day. When we look back at the first inning performances, perhaps he has a point.
Yet neither team impressed me, admittedly an amateur cricket enthusiast, with their tactical acumen.
For instance, Bombay this morning could have bowled their overs quickly using spinners to take the new ball just before lunch or immediately after lunch. This would have put Karnataka batsmen under some pressure but bowling with the old ball, their fast bowlers conceded 27 runs off four overs to Sunil Joshi and Stuart Binny, who with some belligerent batting almost swung the match Karnataka’s way.
But it was too little.
Binny, who had a chance to justify his selection to this match and indeed longevity in the state side, failed miserably and perhaps it is time to blood one more youngster in his place. He was clearly the weak link on the field, and off the field too, given the rumours of a late night at the Mysore Sports Club.
A final word on the winner’s conduct, in particular the victory celebration.
Throughout the match, they seemed to needle the Karnataka players in the middle but complained constantly against real or perceived slights, either by the players or the crowd. Their muscular celebration at the end seemed to embody the so-called “Spirit of Bombay” and one could certainly understand their elation given the close and hard fought battle.
Abhishek Nayar‘s antics, however, were the most disgraceful acts I have ever seen on a cricket field.
He thrust his crotch at a section of the crowd, and at one point even seem to hold his balls in his hand, shouting repeatedly: “Come on.” His behavior in general seems to be as ugly as his batting stance, and notwithstanding his cricketing accomplishments, if such behaviour isn’t questioned or curbed, then shame on the authorities, and the media, if it remains silent.
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Prithvi Datta Chandra Shobhi is on the faculty of San Francisco State University, specialising in medieval South India (especially Kannada literature and cinema) and the cultural politics of contemporary South Asia.
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Photograph: Neo Sports anchor V.B. Chandrashekhar prepares for the final act of the finals of the Ranji Trophy finals at the Gangotri Glades in Mysore on Thursday as KSCA officials (from left) vice-president P.R. Ashokanand, secretary Brijesh Patel, president Srikantadatta Narasimharaja Wodeyar, M.R. Krishna, KSCA (Mysore Zone) secretary Satyanarayana Nadig, convenor R.K. Harikrishna Kumar, and chairman Sunaad Raghuram look on.
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Cricinfo match report: Bombay hold nerve for 39th title
Scores: Bombay 233 & 234; Karnataka 130 & 331
Bombay win 39th Ranji Trophy title by 6 runs
Also read: A tale of two cities as narrated by a cricket field
Players, patrons and the crowd in the age of IPL
A real workhorse from the land of ‘benne dose‘
From the Coffee Board end to Hunsur Road end
Photograph: Former Test stars Brijesh Patel and S.M.H. Kirmani, among others, catch the action at the Gangotri Glades (Karnataka Photo News)
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Prithvi Datta Chandra Shobhi is on the faculty of San Francisco State University, specialising in medieval South India (especially Kannada literature and cinema) and the cultural politics of contemporary South Asia
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Cricinfo match report: Pandey, Kulkarni set up exciting final
Scorecard at end of third day: Bombay 233 & 234; Karnataka 130 & 135 for 3
Also read: Players, patrons and the crowd in the age of IPL
I watched every ball. Feeling very sad. We lost it.
We lost the match which we deserved to win. But anyways, these young guys won our hearts.Pandey is the star for the future. A definite in the Indian future squad. With experience in their bag, I feel next season we must bring the cup back. Go Karnataka go..
“Finally, it came down to Abhishek Nayar’s balls…”
@D P Satish
“I watched every ball”
That’s controversial. Please explain how?
Watched every ball today.. I am feeling sad that my favorite team lost.
I thought Robin’s captaincy was uninspiring. Vinay has got better batting technique than Joshi and Binny.He should have been promoted.
Anyway, well played Karnataka!
Karnataka lost the match, because of over confidence. The team should work hard and forget that they can win even without playing to their best. Better luck next time.
It is really heartbreaking to know that KA lost so narrowly. Perhaps they were missing an experienced head like Dravid’s during the final moments of the chase. Hope they do better next time.
a case of sour grapes for the writer.
Antics of the karnataka players ignored ??
the run out by its very nature was not SPORTING. Lets admit that , that caused more friction than the actual performance of the players.
U have to WIN matches legitimately , appealing for run out was in bad taste and the fial result with AJIT AGARKAR proved to be the icing in the cake.
I wonder why Binny was picked ahead of B Akhil- who has experience, big stage, a better batting & bowling average
Typical bullshit from the bhosudi magas of Bombay. They may even be proud of their behaviour, as they are merely following more illustrious graceless players from that city.
Said illustrious graceless Bombay players however had slightly more class than these buffoons. Bombay is the Australia of Indian cricket.
The loss was disappointing for sure, but I’m really pleased to see that Karnataka cricket has a bright future ahead. Todays loss was more due to lack of knowing how to win than anything else.
A compact and technically sound opener in Pawan, another technically correct batsman in Satish, Pandey, Mithun, ofcourse Vinay Kumar and good wk/batsman in gautam. If Pawan and Satish can be a lil more attacking, then they will be more sucessful than Pandey. Its time for Joshi to retire and guide Appanna.
Uthappa and Binny dont deserve a place in the team. It was sad to see a captain chicken out of opening during an important run chase. Looked like he was desperately trying to make a point to the selectors than win the match. Need to find a captain, a third seamer and a good spinner for next season. Uthappa is in the Rohit Sharma, Raina category. Worrying about when they wil get their next contract than focus on their job
But I suspect Pawan, Pandey and Mithun wont be available for KA pretty soon, if they keep up their hard work.
@ Marathe it was very well within the rules of the game. It was absent mindedness on the part of AJIT AGARKAR ….. And he is supposed to be the senior pro setting example. ……… Yeah you talk about sportmanship ……the entire team from Bal Tackreys place shouted F***k Off when Robin Uthappa got out, That was brillaint sportmanship is it ????!!!!
How wonderfully has the writer remained silent on Uthappa’s antics or abuses by Vinay Kumar every time he took a wicket.
Sour grapes.
C’mon guys , give Mumbai their due. They fought back nicely. Sunil Joshi needs to retire. Uthappa should be dropped from his captaincy and made a middle order batsman.
Ramachandra Guha seems to share my opinion from my earlier comment here.
http://www.cricinfo.com/ranjisuperleague2009/content/story/444152.html
Guys, whatever is the case, Karnataka is back on the national scene after almost a decade. These are glimpses of good times in the waiting.I bet next time, Ranji will be in KSCA museum.
Its already a good batting order with either one or two slots open.
Bowling too looks better except for Joshi-mama who is nearing grandpa-hood. I guess , if we are not finding any other spinners, time to get the most potent bowler of our time Kumble. But I dont think its needed since we still have good spinners in our arsenal.
Manish Pandey looks set to debut soon for Indian colors. Great going boy..
# Hopes go for a six
This 6 run loss reminds me of the grief i had when Miandad hit a 6 off last ball in Sharjah…
Guys,
1.Ranji match is all about staying at the wicket for long.Look at what KAR batsmen did on 2nd day “The pavilion door has morphed into a continually-whirring turnstile” as written in The Independent about Englands batting failure yesterday.
2.As long as the system of penalties are as soft as it is today,no one will care for their match fees.Poor match refree from Kerala,will he be dare enough to hand out sever punishments to Mumbaikars?Had he done it,he would have been relegated nextday.
3.Amre was always there before the start of the match and after, at the end of each days play near the wicket to bring in some confusions in the minds of the curator.KAR officials none?
4.Amre was seen giving batting practice to his lower order which had helped Mumbai in couple of occasions in this year’s league phase,he new its importance although bowlers are there to take wickets.Dhaval’s 87 was crucial.
5.KAR knew Vinay was among runs,he should be batting ahead of Joshi.
6.If Robin feels that he can’t handle new ball,he better not be in the team.
hard work of the organisers led by Hari was not a waste,it was team which had better application of mind won.
I think, the State Team Selectors (read Kirmani and Co.) are biased to provide a place to Udit Patel (Brijesh Patel’s son) instead of Ryan Ninan. I have heard very good words about Ryan and it is a pity that he has not been able to play. Who knows, he could have made the difference as well!
Very dissappointed with the result .Bombay attitude was disgraceful.
I have an innocent query? was hazare,the ‘baroda’ umpire who gave the controversial decisions.If so,he must be thrown out.
Dear KL,
Hazare is from Baroda and Saheba from Ahmedabad,both west zone
hahah guys mumbai is the best thats why they have won the ranji trphy 38 times…..and karnantaka…welll they are all talk….welll if they were a gd side they wudve won the ranji trophy….and not succumbed under pressure….and i believe a team has the right to celebrate how it wants to specially after they beat not only a side of 11 players but all the other non sporting supporters who booeed them throughout the game commonn mumbai ull r true champions and will always bbb the most dominant team in india….