CHENNAI: All-ROUNDER Varun Goud of Hyderabad has consistently impressed in the ongoing Buchi Babu tournament here. On a hot, less humid day at the Guru Nanak College grounds here, he showed patience, grit in his 221-ball 91-run knock in Hyderabad's second innings against Haryana on Tuesday. Coming in at 66-4, Goud helped his team post 254 runs on the board on what he describes a 'happening pitch.' His inning added to his good outing in this performance, which includes three fifties and a ton.
"The innings was satisfying. I thoroughly batted for the team. Regarding my hundred, I felt I could have got it and stay unbeaten for the day," he told the media after the day's play.
The 25-year-old all-rounder stuck to his ground and appeared to keep it simple. "There is no X-factor in my game. Yes, there are skills needed but it is about practice and this is what I learnt from Tamil Nadu batter B Sai Sudharsan — whatever it is, you will learn only by practice. Only if we experience those situations constantly at practice, that would be just another situation in the match, then it will help you deliver. I believe that any skill set can be achieved by good, mindful practice," he said.
His responsibility as a middle-order batter according to him is to 'build strong partnerships' rather than milestones. "Whenever I come, we may have lost two or three wickets on the trot or put in a comfortable position. Most of the time it is the former. There, I would like to take my time. Getting partnerships for the team remains more important than making fifties and centuries to me," he added. While switching from white-ball cricket to red-ball, Goud wants to retain his shot making. "The red-ball game tests your character and your temperament. In white-ball cricket, phases keep changing frequently. But in red-ball, the situation would be similar for every game. It is about how you go through things patiently, by not making decisions out of pressure," he explained.
He made his Ranji Trophy debut for Hyderabad earlier this year, on the back of good performances in the Vijay Hazare Trophy (List-A tournament) on the fag end of 2024. He recalled his debut, which he made at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium against Himachal Pradesh. "I waited a long time for my first class debut. With the runs I have scored in age-group cricket, I thought I would play soon but things didn't go well. Sooner or later, I got the opportunity. The score may not seem huge but I was able to bat the day out for the team. That way, I learnt how to handle tough situations there. I feel my contribution was important then," he explained.
In his bid to mould his game for the red-ball format, advice from former India fielding coach R Sridhar were of immense help. "In-person, he is very empathetic. He understands your perspective. That is when he talks. The chats with him are very productive. I had one before this tournament and another chat after I scored runs. He always tries to keep me in the present. He is my go-to person, whenever I feel low or when I am doing well," he said.
Meanwhile, Hyderabad left arm spinner Nitin Sai Yadav put Haryana on the backfoot late on Tuesday as he scalped two wickets in the final over before stumps. Opener Ashish Siwach and nightwatcher Ishant Bhardwaj were Yadav's wickets. This deterred Haryana's chase of 272 runs, as they ended1 the day at 6/2 in four overs.