CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu skipper R Sai Kishore is confident of a good performance against Saurashtra in the quarterfinals of the Ranji Trophy to be played at Coimbatore from Friday. His confidence stems from the fact that the team, after an indifferent start, has peaked at the right time and entered the knockout stage in style. Also, the team is playing as a unit and does not depend upon just one individual to deliver.
"Our preparations for the quarterfinal have gone on smoothly. We are ready to take on Saurashtra. Our boys are pretty relaxed and not tensed up for this crucial game. This shows that they are confident and aware of their abilities and as a captain, what more can I ask for?," said Sai Kishore.
A knockout game is totally a different one from league ties. Unlike the league matches, there will be no chance of a comeback, so pressure is bound to be high. But Sai Kishore is not perturbed. "Our players are clearly aware of it. We have come to this stage (QF) after a while and we are keen to carry forward the momentum of the league phase. Our boys are very determined and want to continue the good work done so far," he said.
Sai Kishore's captaincy has been a revelation as he has been leading by example by taking wickets regularly and even scoring some vital runs. He has also been mentoring the youngsters. "My approach to captaincy is very clear: 'Vettu onnu thundu rendu' (meaning one chop, two pieces). I don't believe in draws. I wish to go for a win. At times, it may not work but that's fine. I never play for a pre-determined draw."
In a knockout game, teams usually prefer to win the toss and bat out the opposition. But when one is unlucky with the coin, the call becomes tough. "Like most captains, I would prefer to bat first in case I win the toss. But having said that, in case the call goes against us, I think with the kind of bowling we have, we should not worry too much," he said.
The TN batters have been delivering in turns. The beauty is that they have been able to up the tempo when it has mattered the most. B Indrajith, Vijay Shankar, Pradosh Ranjan Paul, to name a few, have done well in the last few games. "With the kind of batting we have, as a captain, I enjoy a lot of flexibility and can even change the order as per the situation demands. The plus point is that batters have the ability to accelerate at will and build partnerships, which is important," said Sai Kishore.
The wicket at the moment has a bit of grass and is hard. It should initially help the bowlers and then could end up as a batting beauty in the first two days and then start aiding spin. "Yes, the wicket is hard and has a bit of grass. It should help seamers in the morning. But as I said earlier, we are prepared for anything. We should play two seamers (doesn't reveal the names), two spinners (myself and Ajith Ram) and Pradosh can churn out some overs. So, we are keen to deliver as a unit," signed off Sai Kishore.