Kolkata: Jharkhand head coach Ratan Kumar praised his young side’s character after they fought back from a seemingly dangerous position to secure a hard-earned draw against Maharashtra in their Ranji Trophy Elite Group C clash at MCA Stadium in Pune on Wednesday.After losing the toss on a surface that offered considerable assistance to the pacers early on, Jharkhand managed just 169 in the first innings. Maharashtra made full use of improved batting conditions, piling up 527/5 declared through centuries from Ankit Bawne (169), Digvijay Patil (148) and returning Ruturaj Gaikwad (101 not out), leaving the visitors 358 runs behind.With defeat staring them in the face, Jharkhand responded with one of their most determined batting efforts in recent seasons, grinding out 344/8 in 136 overs to deny Maharashtra an outright victory and the additional points that would have came with it.The foundation of that resistance was laid by opener young Shikhar Mohan, whose superb 127 led the charge, while Utkarsh Singh (58), Aditya Singh (51), captain Virat Singh (41) and the lower order made significant contributions on a wearing pitch.Ratan revealed that the dressing-room message before the second innings was clear: bat positively, not defensively.“After the first innings, we told the boys only one thing. Don’t play to save the match. Play your own cricket and back your game. The target was to bat for five-six sessions. If you only think about survival, you are more likely to lose. The boys showed tremendous discipline and character by batting close to 140 (136) overs,” the coach sounded satisfied while talking to TOI from Pune on Wednesday evening.The coach admitted Jharkhand had fallen short in the first innings but was delighted with the response.“You cannot play your best cricket in every match. What matters is how a team reacts in difficult situations. We had not been bowled out for such a low score for quite some time. The way the players rebuilt the second innings and fought together was very pleasing.”Ratan reserved special praise for Shikhar’s approach. “I have never asked Shikhar to bat negatively, even from his junior days. His strength is playing his natural game. The partnership with Utkarsh gave us belief and momentum.”He also highlighted skipper Virat Singh’s contribution despite the modest score. “Virat made only 41, but he consumed 135 balls. In that situation, it was a captain’s innings.”The Jharkhand coach disclosed that sending Manishi ahead of wicketkeeper-batter Robin Minz was a tactical call aimed at strengthening the resistance.“We needed an experienced batter at that stage. Manishi understood the situation perfectly and played his role very well.”Ratan also explained the inclusion of young all-rounder Md Kounain Quraishi during their second innings following Sahil Raj’s shoulder injury after falling on the boundary rope. “The medical report suggested Sahil was not fit to bat. We sought a like-for-like replacement under the new BCCI regulations, received the match referee’s approval and brought in Kounain, who contributed well.”With Delhi next up in Ranchi, Jharkhand will now hope the fighting draw serves as a springboard. “The biggest gain is belief. This young team now knows it can fight its way out of difficult situations,” said Ratan.Brief scores: Jharkhand 169 & 344/8 in 136 overs (Shikhar Mohan 127, Utkarsh Singh 58, Virat Singh 41, Aditya Singh 51, Manishi 22 not out; Siddhesh Veer 3/41). Maharashtra 527/5 decl. (Ankit Bawne 169, Digvijay Patil 148, Ruturaj Gaikwad 101 not out). Match drawn.Points: Maharashtra 3, Jharkhand 1.
About The Author
