Why Parthiv Patel is upbeat despite crushing Irani defeat

Only Haryana, Hyderabad, Railways and Tamil Nadu have 100 per cent winning rate in Irani Cup. As Ranji Trophy champions winning against Rest of India to achieve a remarkable double in Indian cricket, these teams have proved that the usually stronger Rest of India are not invincible.

Latest Ranji Trophy champions Gujarat had a chance to emulate the above-mentioned teams of winning Irani Cup in the same year as their Ranji Trophy triumph, though not within a week of each other. Those were the days when Irani Cup would be held at the start of the new season unlike in recent times when it has been scheduled in the same season and become more meaningful.

However, the inexperienced Gujarat bowling, without RP Singh, Rush Kalaria and Jasprit Bumrah for various reasons, were reduced to smithereens by Wriddhiman Saha’s 203 not out and his 316 unbroken fifth wicket partnership with Cheteshwar Pujara.

Though Gujarat will take confidence from the fact that they dismissed a strong Rest of India to just 226 in the first innings, they were mere spectators as the Saha-Pujara show saw Rest of India win by six wickets, chasing 379.

Gujarat captain Parthiv Patel gave credit where it was due. Speaking after the Irani Cup ended here on Tuesday, Patel, who filled in for an injured Saha in the last three Tests against England in November-December 2016, said: “He took his chances really well. That was obviously the right approach because if they had tried to defend, they would have struggled. It was the right approach and it clicked well for them. We would have liked him to play with a defensive approach but he took his chances. We were thinking that one might pop up and we will get a wicket. But everything went his way.”

The raw Gujarat attack might have made the difference, Patel felt. “Out of compulsion, we had to leave out key bowlers. RP Singh had a niggle, Rush Kalaria had a niggle and Jasprit Bumrah was obviously going to be missed (he is on national duty), so we did not have any option but to go in with this attack. When you go in with such an attack, you know that there are no expectations. It’s a good learning curve for them. As a captain, mid-game, I would have ideally liked to have our main bowlers but these bowlers did a decent job. To get this kind of a batting line-up out for 226 and even in the second innings to get them 63/4 was creditable. Somewhere, experience does help but I think our bowlers did a good job.”

Though Gujarat failed to clinch a double of Ranji Trophy and Irani Cup, the 31-year-old from Ahmedabad was proud of his team’s achievement this season. “It was a great season. When the season started, if someone would have said that we will be the champions and we will play the Irani Cup, we would have taken it with both hands. We have seen some outstanding performances. Priyank Panchal getting 1,310 runs; Samit Gohil got nearly a thousand runs (914) and a world record (359 not out). Wickets are something that we can work on. We didn’t have anyone who was bowling outstandingly well. That has also got to do with the flat wickets we have played on. But the ultimate result was winning the Ranji Trophy and we have achieved that.”

As Ranji Trophy winners, defending the title will not be easy, though the next season is some months away. “That’s what we have been talking about and that’s what we have set the challenges to –  to make one Ranji Trophy title into two, three, four, five. For now, we still would like to enjoy the victory. It’s taken a long time for us and we will definitely sit down and decide on how to go out about it.”