Mumbai, Jan 13: Tamil Nadu reached the Ranji Trophy 2011-’12 riding on a first-innings lead against Mumbai in the semifinal at the Wankhede. In the post-match media-interaction, skipper L Balaji spoke about the process that has made TN the team that they are today.

Excerpts:

On the match

It’s a very good win. A first-innings lead always gives you an edge against Bombay [Mumbai]. We have been doing well as a bowling unit and as a batting unit and we have been sticking together. Whenever a collapse has happened in the first session, we’ve always known [we can overcome it]. In the league matches also we had a little bit of a collapse in the first hour. We got better, the lower-order contributed. It shows the amount of mental strength of each and every individual who went in and gave his hundred percent. That’s what the captain and team management expect from each and every member of the team. I am happy for the guys who have stood there and raised their hand, accepted the challenge […].

On bouncing back from 139 for the loss of six wickets in the first innings

We have had similar situations against Delhi and Haryana so I knew that it’s just a matter of time [before we were back in the match]. I knew that I can bat and Yomi [Yo Mahesh] can bat a little bit so we can push forward hard and [hang] in there. That’s what the team plan was once we lost four wickets in a row in one session […] Some contribution from the lower-order [was needed]. Each and everyone took the responsibility, especially Yomi and [R] Prasanna. They showed a lot of character and they believed in themselves. […]

On R Prasanna’s performance

He’s a very good cricketer from Tamil Nadu. He’s been performing very well in the league system back home. This year he proved that he can contribute with his maturity and showed how well he can play with the lower middle order. The main thing is consuming time; that we would play out the 130 overs was doubtful at one point of time but Prasanna and Yomi showed a lot of character and mental strength and physical endurance during the course of the first innings.

On the top-order’s batting in the second innings after the result was a foregone conclusion

We needed the top order [to perform] too. We know what strength they have in their batting, potential-wise there is no doubt. Everyone has played at the highest level of cricket and played for India. Badri [S Badrinath], Dinesh [Karthik], Abhinav [Mukund] have got a lot of potential. It’s about how well you execute on the field. We are playing as a team and it shows [that] even if [we] collapse we can still come [back] from any position the opponents put us in. I believed that from the day I took over the captaincy; I believed in each and every one who gave his hundred percent for me.

On the dual responsibility of bowling and captaincy

I wanted to have a very good bowling unit. You shouldn’t expect an individual to take the team load. I thought we should collectively take wickets and come as a pack and put pressure on the opponent […] We know that in the past 25-30 years Tamil Nadu has a history of producing batsmen. Batting-wise there is no doubt […] They have played enough matches. It’s only the bowling department which lacks experience and a little bit of guidance, so I thought I should take the pack to next level.

On TN having three different coaches and but no main coach

Everyone has got a role to play. […] It gives more time to work on each individual, one-on-one sessions can be monitored and that’s what’s been happening for two or three years. We are seeing improvements in bowlers like [J] Kaushik who has been doing very well […].

On the final against Rajasthan, whom they have earlier lost to

Every game is serious […] We start afresh and go hard at [the opponents] [and control] whatever we can control. […]

On Mumbai’s batting collapse

We have been doing well as a bowling unit. We have been coming hard at the batsmen so we knew if we stuck to our plans, any batting order could be controlled. […] You should be able to control either the run or the wicket column. As long as you maintain those two things in the bowling department, the process will take care of itself.

On not bowling in the second innings

I just wanted the spinners and youngsters to take the new ball and see how they bowled. Kaushik got two wickets and Yomi bowled well.