It is heartening that the first round of
the Ranji trophy created a flutter — if certain stats are to be believed, it
generated more interest than some of the matches in the Champions League. We, the
First Class cricketers, are used to playing in empty stadia, performing only
for scorers and the selectors.

This year, while the elevated interest didn't
bring people in hordes to the grounds, it did feel good that people beyond our
immediate family and friends are taking note of our performances.

We, Rajasthan, were lucky to have played
our first game at a smaller centre, Udaipur. A few hundred people turned up to
watch us. The curator did a fine job in creating the sort of wicket that kept
the crowd coming back every day.

The wicket suited the quicks on Day 1 and
2, and spinners on Day 3 and 4. And if you batted well you could also score big — K
B Pawan proved it with a brilliant double ton. Though the game was drawn, there
was plenty of drama with at least two results