Blog Posts by Kunal Diwan

Games galore

Mild disorientation leads to a frank tizzy with the start of the Australian Open final, which is sputtering as grainy pictures on my laptop. This means I currently have live access to three contests, aside from the Ranji Trophy final unfolding before my eyes. There’s the tennis. There’s the India-England ODI on a TV ahead. Then there’s a makeshift stick-cricket match between journalists to my back. That all four are providing their own sweet audio almost leads me into a fugue state; still I choose to tune into – at least subconsciously – the entire experience on offer, doing justice, as usual, to neither.

Strange ways

Online fora are abuzz with Cheteshwar Pujara missing out on yet another chance for an ODI debut. Not released to play the Ranji Trophy final for Saurashtra, Pujara is widely expected to feature in the dead fifth ODI against England at Dharamsala. Imagine his shock when he finds himself warming the bench again. At least Ravindra Jadeja is getting games in Indian

Read More »from Mumbai Diary - Day 2

Dhawal Kulkarni (File photo)MUMBAI: It was obvious within the first session of play on Saturday that this Ranji Trophy final too would go the way 39 previously have. That way is Mumbai’s. At their stronghold, the Wankhede Stadium, the home team, having dismantled half of Saurashtra by lunch, scuttled the visitors out for 148 after sending them in on a pitch with some decent moisture-aided movement and carry.

Mumbai were 19 without loss at close, the track having eased out and the stage set for yet another title triumph. Medium pacer Dhawal Kulkarni was the pick of the bowlers, jolting the visitors in a troubling first spell and finishing the day with 4/24. All-rounder Abhishek Nayar gained his team crucial breakthroughs late in the second session, and left-arm spinner Vishal Dabholkar benefitted from
the pressure that Kulkarni imposed with two wickets of his own.

Only the bespectacled Aarpit Vasavada, who replaced his skipper Jaydev Shah at No.4, contributed a fighting half-century, as Saurashtra’s
reliance on their

Read More »from Mumbai in control of Ranji final

Missing out

Young Saurashtra off-spinner Vishal Joshi must be wondering what he did wrong. The 23-year-old was Man of the Match in the semi-final against Punjab with a nine-wicket haul and would have hoped to play in the final against Mumbai. But a seaming track at the Wankhede Stadium moved captain Jaydev Shah to drop Joshi for medium pacer Saurya Sanandiya, as left-arm spinner Dharmendrasinh Jadeja and off-spinning all-rounder Kamlesh Makvana held their places. Considering the plight of Saurashtra’s batting, no amount of bowling reinforcements would have saved them the day.

Voluntary demotion

A wicket fell. Then another, and then another. But still no signs of
Jaydev Shah emerged from the dressing room. The Saurashtra skipper,
who normally bats at No.4, dropped himself down the order, possibly on
account of difficult conditions. The bespectacled Aarpit Vasavada was
bumped up, as was the prolific Sheldon Jackson, and Shah walked out
only after the fall of the fourth wicket. Staying away from

Read More »from Mumbai Diary - Day 1

Mumbai: At the helm of a side with an unmatched, abiding Ranji Trophy legacy, Ajit Agarkar is not belittling the challenge that outsiders Saurashtra pose in what would be Mumbai’s 44th final. The domestic giants have won India’s premier competition 39 times and look favourites to add another title against an outfit playing its first summit clash, at the Wankhede Stadium, beginning on Saturday.

But skipper Agarkar said on the eve of the contest that they would be fools to underestimate the rivals.

"It's a one-off game and we need to be at our best. Whoever performs better these five days will take the honours. Any team that makes the final cannot be an easy opponent,” he said.

Agarkar: Lucky to have Sachin
'Wish Pujara and Jadeja were here'
Ranji final hit by scheduling woes
Y! Cricket Special: Revisiting Ranji

Agarkar struck a rare, vital century – just his fourth in First Class cricket – against Services in the semi-final, to resurrect Mumbai from a dicey situation. Notwithstanding that

Read More »from 'Saurashtra not an easy opponent'

FLARE UP

A flare up, unfortunately not on the field, although almost as interesting. A Services team official has a strong opinion on the work culture of sports hacks. Asked to arrange for a plug-point to charge laptops, he dismisses the request because he considers most journos to be good-for-nothing chit-chats. “You wiled away the whole morning and remember that you needed a plug-point only now?” A physical altercation is avoided as well-meaning personnel intervene, but the incident caps a most troublesome week for those entrusted with reporting on the Ranji Trophy semifinal between Mumbai and Services.

“I’ll make sure your ground gets an ‘F’ from the match referee,” hollers the offended man of letters. Another incensed opinion maker is aggravated enough to leave his place in the sun and shake a threatening finger at the causative Government servant.  This situation too fizzles out — a most unfortunate turn of events — without blows exchanged. Can’t have it all, yo!

DEADLY DECOY

A grey

Read More »from Delhi Diary - 4

NEW DELHI: Services stand-in skipper Sowmya Ranjan Swain compiled a fighting 74 against Mumbai to give hope to his team for an unlikely upset. He partnered Yashpal Sharma for 114 runs for the fourth wicket, but the quick dismissals of both batsmen on the final morning deflated the home side.

Swain has been described as an ‘attacking batsman who goes for his shots’ by Services' coach Deepak Bhaskar, although he’s done nothing of note this season aside from an unbeaten century versus Himachal Pradesh. Our current interest in him has more to do with his replacing the valiant Soumik Chatterjee as captain in the Ranji Trophy semifinal against Mumbai.

Was the 25-year-old up to the task of assuming responsibility for such a crucial game?

“I enjoy captaincy. I play more responsibly when I’m leading the side. I captained Services in the Gold Cup in Dehradun last year and had a run of good scores. I made about 250 in five innings. Helming the team has a calming effect on the way I bat.”

Swain had

Read More »from Services' Swain makes a mark in tough game

NEW DELHI: Man of the Match Ajit Agarkar is in his sixth Ranji Trophy final, having won five of them and with a shot at half-a-dozen titles when Mumbai take on Saurashtra from January 26. The 35-year-old said Mumbai were relieved that their semifinal against Services at the Palam Sports Complex here was not decided by a coin toss.

After rain led to the loss of two full days of play, there was a chance that the winner would be identified by the spin of a coin. But Mumbai shot our Services in quick time on the sixth morning to storm into their 44th title round.

“We were slightly worried when there was no play for consecutive days. We were in a good position at 380 for 6 so we knew that we can outclass Services if the weather allowed.”

Mumbai have a bad record in coin tosses, having lost two of two in First Class cricket, while Services have won three of three. But Dhawal Kulkarni (5-33) ensured that the 39-time Ranji champs did not have to endure any such vagary again, despite batsmen

Read More »from Not sure of Rohit's availability: Agarkar

NEW DELHI: Heavy favourites Mumbai were spared the gamble of a coin toss as they beat Services on first innings lead within the first session on Monday to enter their 44th Ranji Trophy final.

The Ajit Agarkar-led side needed just 34.4 overs to dismiss the home team for 240, as medium-pacer Dhawal Kulkarni claimed five wickets for the match – three of which came with the new ball on the sixth morning.

Services caved in under pressure, losing seven wickets for 76 runs to concede a match-deciding lead of 214.

Rain and poor arrangements at the Palam Sports Complex ground had led to the loss of seven sessions in the match, and for a while it appeared that Services – who had fought valiantly on to finish Sunday on 164/3 in response to Mumbai’s 454/8 declared – would dig in some more to enforce a coin-mediated lottery. But the visiting team made early inroads, getting rid of the two overnight batsmen Sowmya Ranjan Swain (74) and Yashpal Sharma (58) quickly. The wicket of the prolific Rajat

Read More »from Mumbai avert toss farce, enter final