Off-spinner MS Washington Sundar and left-arm spinner Vijay Gohil spun India Red to a 163-run title win in Duleep Trophy 2017. The duo claimed five wickets apiece to bowl their team to a solid first innings lead and returned to bowl the opposition out a second time with over a day to spare. Sundar, who will turn 18 next week (October 5, 2017) returned with the best figures on Duleep Trophy debut (11/181) while Gohil, who will be 22 on 13 October 2017 took eight wickets in the game. Asked about the record, Sundar said, “I wasn’t looking to set a record or anything, but I was really focussed and things did happen. I had an idea of how to bat and bowl on this kind of wicket to an extent so I was pretty much prepared mentally as well. To get 11 wickets against a quality side does give me a lot of confidence. I hope to carry this form throughout the season as well.” Besides his outstanding performance with the bat, Sundar also made a patient 88 in the first inning and followed with a crucial 42 in the second. His all-round performance earned him the Man of the match on debut. Speaking about his performance, especially given the occasion, Sundar told bcci.tv “When I got the call and got selected to play the final, I was very happy. I thought that I should make use of this opportunity. I have played on this kind of wickets, so I thought this is a very good chance for me to excel or perform very well.” Vijay Gohil, his partner in dismantling India Blue twice said, “The pressure was normal. I wasn’t thinking too much. I was looking at it as a normal game like how I played Ranji Trophy and not looking at it any differently.” Speaking about bowling with Sundar, Gohil said, “It was good. We were creating pressure from both the ends and that did help our team. The wicket wasn’t easy to bat, but it wasn’t easy to bowl on either.” The duo bowled the opposition out in less than two sessions in the second innings. Speaking about which the left-arm spinner from Mumbai said, “Our plan was just to bowl dot balls. In the first innings we were thinking about wickets because we wanted a good lead, but in the second innings our plan was just to bowl the dot balls. We knew that in their team only Eswaran had (shown) the patience to defend for a long time.” While talking about his partnership with Gohil, Sundar said, “This was the first time that we were playing together and we complemented each other well. We shared our ideas. Both of us got to know our strengths and weaknesses. We bowled well and getting wickets in a game like Duleep Trophy final is a very special thing for both of us.” Asked which wicket he rated as his best amongst the 11, Sundar mentioned that the wickets of Ishan Kishan and Suresh Raina in the second innings were memorable. “Raina’s wicket was special because he and Manoj Tiwary were building a very good. And they got runs in quick time as well so we wanted a wicket badly. I could deliver at that time and it was a very good ball. Ishan Kishan (wicket) also I think was a very good ball,” he elaborated. Discussing his vital knocks, the tall cricketer said, “In both the innings when I went in to bat the situations were different. We were 317 for five when I went in, in the first innings and in the second innings we were 58 for four and we needed a good partnership. We thought we should at least get to 200 so that we can set them a target of above 400. I was well prepared coming into this game and I trusted my preparation and things went well as I planned. It was all about getting my mind tuned in, in the middle as well and it really mattered.” Both cricketers said they had gained confidence going into the 2017-18 and will look to carry on in the same way for the rest of the season.