Chennai: It can’t get more dramatic and seemed to be plucked out straight from Ripley’s Believe It or Not show. Call it providence, sheer luck or tenacity, Kerala lived up to its moniker God’s Own Country. The team needed divine intervention to make a match out of the semifinal against Gujarat in Ahmedabad, just like they did in the quarterfinal match against Jammu and Kashmir.
Kerala started on the back foot on the last day of their Ranji Trophy semifinal at the gigantic Narendra Modi Stadium in Ahmedabad on Friday. Hosts Gujarat needed just two runs to reach Kerala’s 457 first innings score, when No 10 batter Arzan Nagwaswalla hit a ball in the leg side. Instead it flew to the short leg and hit Salman Nizar’s helmet — the man who was Man of the Match in the quarterfinal against J&K where Kerala managed to take just one-run lead from a desperate situation.
Nizar turned the saviour once again. The ball ricocheted off the helmet and flew over the head of the batter and wicketkeeper Mohammed Azharuddeen – time almost stopped so did their hearts. As the ball quietly lodged into the safe hands of skipper Sachin Baby, Kerala players could hardly believe what happened. Wild celebration ensued and lasted until the end of the day. Kerala, who made their debut in 1957, took the all important two-run lead and at the end of the day it made sure they made it to their maiden Ranji Trophy final.
If a magical last-wicket 81-run partnership saved Kerala against J&K, a helmet intervention saved them the day. The Kerala skipper admitted the God has been kind to them helping them march into the final. "There was a help from the Almighty I would say," Baby told this daily while recalling those anxious moments.
Baby dropped set batter Jaymeet Patel but fortunately it didn't cost them dear as Azharuddeen brilliantly stumped the Gujarat player in the same over. "We have been putting our efforts and at the same time the God has been kind to us in the last four matches. Before me, it has been a dream of every Kerala captain to lift the Ranji Trophy. I hope the God remains kind and I fulfill my predecessors' dream," Baby signed off.
Baby and Co will hope the Almighty remains by their side for one last match when the team plays Vidarbha in the final scheduled in Nagpur from February 26 to March 2.