VISAKHAPATNAM: When K Vignesh was in middle of his marathon spell that rocked Karnataka, Tamil Nadu vice-captain Vijay Shankar kept asking the seamer whether he could carry on. Vignesh had already bowled 10 overs, but bowled two more overs before limping into the dressing room for an over and came back looking for another five-wicket haul.
Pacers bowling long spells are common. But in the humidity of Visakhapatnam, it tested the fitness of a bowler playing his maiden Ranji season. Tamil Nadu have played nine matches so far and the 22-year-old Vignesh has played eight.
He has bowled 269 overs, the second most for the side, behind A Aswin Crist who has bowled 305.3 in nine matches. T Natarajan has 210.1 in seven. With a combined tally of 97 wickets between them, they have been instrumental in securing Tamil Nadu’s passage to the semifinals.
The fitness levels they have shown has been commendable, considering there hasn’t been a Ranji season where the pacers determined the fate of Tamil Nadu.
None of the three are naturally gifted athletes. Barring Crist, who has a good built, the other two have a slim physique. It all began at the pre-season when Ramji Srinivasan, the side’s strength and conditioning coach, devised player-specific plans.
“If you look at McGrath, Lee or any of the West Indies legends of the past, none of them had a strong built. But what they had in them was strength in the right areas, which enabled them to bowl long without losing pace. I just told our bowlers to add more muscle and power to areas important to them. For each one, it is different. Credit to the boys, because they have not only responded to it, but kept coming back asking for more,” Ramji told Express. Part of Team India between 2009-2013, Ramji has had a different role with the state side.
“This team is young and has lot of potential. The plan has just began. It is a two-year plan, by which time Tamil Nadu will be one of the fittest sides in the world. When your target is big, the results are better. If a team wants to go the distance, you need fit players and with the coach (Hrishikesh Kanitkar) also emphasising on this, we have been able to put together a plan.”
Of course, it hasn’t been easy for the players, with the team on the road and playing mostly in the northern part of India, where winter is severe. “Not a single player has complained,” Ramji said. Apart from routing sessions before matches, Tamil Nadu also had fitness sessions, normally two days prior to a match. “We focus on fielding-related fitness and work on angles and throwing. If you can get the motion right, chances injuries are less,” Ramji added.