The Tamil Nadu Ranji Trophy Team thread

[Magneto]

We have the batting to come out on top in tough bowling conditions but dont think we have the bowling to take 20 wkts in flat wkts.Thats why i would prefer bowling wkts in chennai. As foor 5 bowlers hopefully Aparajith can emerge as a true all rounder to to solve the 5th bowler issue.We did try him couple of times last season with minimal success. No idea

See, TN has a better chance of scoring 600 on a flat wicket and getting the opposition out for less and score more points/win on the basis of the first innings. On the other hand, a lot of sides have a better bowling side than TN and if they can manage to bowl TN out for 350/400, scoring 401 against TN would not be a big deal. You should always back your strength! Baba Aparajith has the potential to be the 5th bowler. They can also add Baba Indrajith as the 12th man to confuse the opposition :P

[The Dark Horse]

Tamil Nadu: underachievers of Ranji Every single time before a Ranji Trophy season starts, Tamil Nadu gets into everyone's list of teams which have the potential to win the trophy and go into the tournament as one of the title-contenders along with other big names like Mumbai and Karnataka. However, much like a certain South African team in ICC events, Tamil Nadu's history suggests that they are big-time underachievers in the Ranji circuit, especially in the knock-out stages. The following stats show why: Winners: 1954-55, 1987-88 Runners: 1935-36, 1940-41, 1967-68, 1972-73, 1991-92, 1995-96, 2002-03, 2003-04, 2011-12. Tamil Nadu's under-performance in the domestic arena is quite an enigma for various reasons. The state of TN, and the city of Chennai in particular, is known for its deep-rooted cricketing culture; while things may have changed gradually in the recent past, kids across generations in Chennai have grown up watching some enthralling Test match cricket at the MA Chidambaram stadium. The traditional 'Pongal Test', played during the festival season in Chennai (last played in 1988, unfortunately) was India's version of the Boxing Day Tests in Australia or South Africa and drew large crowds to the grounds. Call it sheer co-incidence or a just reward for a Test-match loving public, Chennai has hosted few of cricket's most memorable Test matches, including the Tied Test between India and Australia in 1986. The love for cricket in the city has translated into a strong domestic structure; Chennai is the home of one of India's most organised domestic leagues where competitive cricket is played throughout the year. The league, comprising 6 divisions differing in competitiveness, has produced cricketers not just for the state of Tamil Nadu, but for the country as well. Products of the Chennai league structure include S. Venkatraghavan, WV Raman and even Rahul Dravid among others. Chennai also hosts the oldest cricket tournament that's still played in the country - the Buchi Babu trophy. It was started in the year 1909 and was an important part of cricket in India before other tournaments like the Ranji Trophy (and recently, the IPL) took away the past glamour. Apart from the leagues and the Buchi Babu, Chennai is also the proud home of the MRF pace academy - the country's only such academy for nurturing fast bowlers. So why then, does Tamil Nadu have such a poor record in the Ranji Trophy? Any state with such a cricketing culture will expect more than just the 2 Ranji titles in a span of 78 years. In fact, Tamil Nadu's conversion percentage of 18.1 in Ranji Trophy finals is the second worst (after Bengal) for teams which has reached the Ranji final 10 times or more. Dinesh Karthik, the wicket-keeper and senior batsman for Tamil Nadu, calls it the 'million dollar question' before trying to explain where TN go wrong each year. "That's always the million dollar question isn't it - 'why we haven't been able to win the Ranji trophy'. I can give many reasons but every year there has been a different reason and there have been different things that have not fallen in place for us. But we've got a fresh start this time, we have a new coach who is bringing in new ideas and looks very keen to do well." What makes TN's record more puzzling is that the side has almost always had access to quality players. Despite being strong players in the domestic arena, none of their players have been able to seal a place for a long run in the national side, which has made them available for the state team almost throughout the year. Tamil Nadu's new coach - VB Chandrasekhar - says that the habit of losing in the knock-outs has gradually entered into the system in the state cricket. "I think it's about driving the pin at the last minute. We've got to the final stages of tournaments on numerous occasions- it's not just 1 or 2 times - in the last 10 years itself, I can remember about 3-4 times that we've reached the final stages and then we let the opposition go. It could have been just one moment, where you should be driving down the advantage but you don't. These are areas probably where they have let things go. Instead of saying 'they', I should be saying 'we', because we're part of a system which allows that to happen. It probably has something to do with the leagues, it's there in the system." The same 'system' and the 'culture' in the state could well be an explanation for the team's puzzling record. The players from Tamil Nadu, much like the people from thom the state, are seen as 'soft' and 'conservative' - qualities which may not always be suited for high pressure knock-out matches. Compare that to a team like Mumbai; while Mumbai have produced players of quality on a consistent basis, the factor that converts the talent into trophies is the never say die attitude which is prevalant in the system. That probably explains Mumbai's 39 titles, compared to Tamil Nadu's tally of 2. One cricketing reason for Tamil Nadu's lack of title victories could be that the state has found it hard to produce quality bowlers. While TN has churned out domestic batting machines like WV Raman, Sridharan Sharath, Sadagoppan Ramesh, Subramaniam Badrinath etc, they have not been able to replicate the same in the bowling department. There is an odd Lakshmipathy Balaji or an R Ashwin coming up now and then, but over the years, TN has remained a side heavily dependent on its batsmen, and more often than not, even the famed batting line up has had a knack of crumbling under pressure in knock-out games. The coach recognizes the need to unearth bowlers and considers it as the "biggest challenge" for anyone who coaches Tamil Nadu. TN's preparations in the lead up to the Ranji Trophy revolved around unearthing bowlers as well - they tested their young bowlers in the tournaments like Buchi Babu and Moin ud Dawla and worked on forming a pool of bowlers for the Ranji trophy. Handing over the captaincy to a bowler (L Balaji) last season helped reduce the imbalance too. Balaji's attacking captaincy on the field, coupled with the batsmen's good show led them to the finals of the Ranji Trophy last season. A golden opportunity to correct the dubious record was presented for Tamil Nadu as the final was played in their home - Chennai, but a dead pitch and a toss that went Rajasthan's way crushed any hopes of a title win. Can the perennial underachievers from Tamil Nadu go one step further this year? It remains a million dollar question. Season 2012/13: Tamil Nadu are placed in group B along with Haryana, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Uttar Pradesh, Vidarbha, Delhi, Baroda and Odisha. Their biggest hurdles in the league stage will be Delhi and traditional rivals Karnataka. Three teams will make it to the quarter finals from this group.

http://www.cricbuzz.com/cricket-news/53165/tamil-nadu-underachievers-of-ranji

[India-KXIP fan]

Vijay is Sehwag of domestic cricket minus the strike rate :P

Thing with TN players is they are only good in domestic cricket :giggle: Not match winners in the most prized cricketing event. Balaji captain :hysterical: TN not even once

[The Dark Horse]

Thing with TN players is they are only good in domestic cricket :giggle: Not match winners in the most prized cricketing event. Balaji captain :hysterical: TN not even once

Still better than Bhajj being captain:hysterical::hysterical::hysterical::hysterical: :hysterical:

[India-KXIP fan]

Still better than Bhajj being captain:hysterical::hysterical::hysterical::hysterical: :hysterical:

The fresh and improved Bhaji is a much better player than any TN player. He was only temporarily out of form, doesn't change the fact he has owned legendary players (refer to sig). Look at how he destroyed the English in the T20. And Im pretty sure someone with experience of 100 Tests is much better than some player playing against Danda'a etc all his life.

[The Dark Horse]

The fresh and improved Bhaji is a much better player than any TN player. He was only temporarily out of form' date=' doesn't change the fact he has owned legendary players (refer to sig). Look at how he destroyed the English in the T20. And Im pretty sure someone with experience of 100 Tests is much better than some player playing against Danda'a etc all his life.[/quote'] Should have been kicked out of the team way before he faked that injury..Way over-rated.

[India-KXIP fan]

Should have been kicked out of the team way before he faked that injury..Way over-rated.

lol He always gives his 100% and no ordinairy player can make Ponting his bunny. But then you have true selfish players like Fatwin. Not even trying to run a 2 so that India may win. He wanted to stay in crease to boost his average. Anyway is Fatwin the only TN player that's ever played for India (or himself) consistently? :haha:

[The Dark Horse]

lol He always gives his 100% and no ordinairy player can make Ponting his bunny. But then you have true selfish players like Fatwin. Not even trying to run a 2 so that India may win. He wanted to stay in crease to boost his average. Anyway is Fatwin the only TN player that's ever played for India (or himself) consistently? :haha:

Nice try:winky:

[India-KXIP fan]

^Nice AVI :nice: Your one of the few to recognise who India's best spinners are.

[BeautifulGame]

Probably never even watched a Punjab Ranji match all his life.But making assumptions about ranji players :cantstop:

[yoda]

Still better than Bhajj being captain:hysterical::hysterical::hysterical::hysterical: :hysterical:

This guy is one of those crazy pwnjabis who thinks everything in this world revolves around them. :giggle:

[The Dark Horse]

The rivalry is steeped in Indian domestic cricketing history. Picture the scene: Off spin wizard Erapalli Prasanna teasing braveheart T.E. Srinivasan with flight and deception. Or Srinivas Venkataraghavan challenging the wristy genius, Gundappa Viswanath, with classical off-spin underlined by precision. Then there was the unpredictable but often destructive leg-spinner Bhagwat Chandrasekhar who captivated the audience with his astonishing variety of deliveries. If the turn did not get you, the bounce would. A big spinner of the ball, Chandra’s quicker deliveries zipped past the bat. Those memories, indeed, would never fade. MARQUEE FACE-OFF The Tamil Nadu-Karnataka match was a marquee face-off of intensity, pride and expectations. Tests stars featured consistently in domestic cricket during those heady days and not make one or two token appearances as they do now. Crowds, then, thronged the arena. Given the overall decline in the standing of the Ranji Trophy, the Tamil Nadu-Karnataka clash might have lost some of its sheen. Tamil Nadu coach V.B. Chandrasekhar argues the match is still high on the agenda to the cricketers from both sides. “It has always been a big game. There is a lot at stake and the players give their best. Karnataka has always had a strong bowling unit. I do not know where they get their bowlers from.” Fresh pages will be added to the rivalry when Karnataka takes on last year’s finalist Tamil Nadu in a vital Ranji Trophy Group ‘B’ match at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium from Friday. FORGETTABLE START The start to the fresh season has been forgettable for both sides. Karnataka conceded the lead to Baroda at Vadodara. And Tamil Nadu, baulked by rain at Cuttack, ended up with just a point against Odisha. The surface for the match appears dry and seems to possess some red clay content. This pitch at Chepauk could increasingly assist spinners. The side that bats first has the opportunity to dictate the course of the match. Tamil Nadu will be without off-spinner Ravichandran Ashwin and opener Murali Vijay, who are part of the Indian squad for the first Test against England at Ahmedabad. ATTACKING BOWLER Young off-spinner Malolan Rangarajan is likely to play. The young man is an attacking bowler, not averse to giving the ball air. Opener Arun Karthick should come in for Vijay. The Tamil Nadu top-order will be tested by the international pairing of R. Vinay Kumar and Abhimanyu Mithun. That could be a key phase of the match. With the likes of Abhinav Mukund, S. Badrinath and Dinesh Karthik, Tamil Nadu has the batting strength. Much focus will be on the host’s bowling. It would be interesting to see how leg-spinner M. Ashwin teams up with Malolan. Skipper Lakshmipathy Balaji, lion-hearted and crafty, carries with him much of the pace bowling hopes. J. Kaushik could lend him effective support. Karnataka, as coach J. Arun Kumar conceded, was let down by its catching against Baroda. Top-order batsman Robin Uthappa impressed while Stuart Binny continued to make headway as a pace-bowling all-rounder. But then, Karnataka’s batting was seen in ordinary light at Vadodara during the chase. At Chepauk, left-arm spinner K.P. Appanna could don a crucial role for Karnataka. Again, much would hinge on the spin of the coin. The teams (from): Tamil Nadu: L. Balaji (capt.), A. Mukund, Arun Karthick, S. Badrinath, Dinesh Karthik, R. Prasanna, B. Aparajith, J. Kaushik, M. Ashwin, M. Rangarajan, M. Mohammad, Yo Mahesh, A. Srinivas, R. Rohith, K. Sri Vasudevadas. Karnataka: R. Vinay Kumar (capt.), R. Uthappa, K.B. Pawan, G. Satish, M. Pandey, A. Verma, S. Binny, M. Gautham (w.k.), S. Raju, A. Mithun, K.P. Appanna, Kunal Kapoor, L. Rahul, R. More, S.K. Moinuddin.

http://www.thehindu.com/sport/cricket/karnataka-takes-on-tamil-nadu-in-a-crucial-encounter/article4078498.ece

[BeautifulGame]

First first class 50 to Aparajith :clap:

[The Dark Horse]

4pm - Fifties for Badri and Aparajith They have had to fight hard, but S Badrinath and Baba Aparajith have posted fifties. This is a first in first-class cricket for Aparajith. The stand is 114, and TN 224 for 2. All of TN's top four have scored fifties on a tough track

[BeautifulGame]

On a dry surface that began to turn appreciably enough for Karnataka to introduce spin as early as the sixth over of the day, all four of Tamil Nadu's batsmen that batted scored fifties to put Tamil Nadu in a commanding position. Karnataka did come back with the wickets of openers either side of lunch, but Aparajith and Badrinath thwarted them with some disciplined batting for the rest of the day. Arun Karthik tried to hit out against spin and scored exactly 50 before he fell to part-time offspin of Ganesh Satish. Abhinav Mukund fell soon after, and Tamil Nadu went from 106 for 0 to 110 for 2. Karnataka sensed an opportunity, and went hard at the two new batsmen. There was a time when Tamil Nadu went without a boundary for 22 overs. The first 15 overs after lunch yielded just 18. The two batsmen, however, didn't throw it away with a loose release shot, and ended the day unbeaten. Aparajith was approaching a maiden first-class century, and Badrinath was 37 short of 8000 first-class runs.

http://www.espncricinfo.com/indian-domestic-2012/engine/current/match/574038.html Think we have a decent chance of winning this match. Also excited to see a leg spinner in TN Ranji team.Hopefully he turns out to be as good as the other Ashwin

[CricLind]

Sometime in the future, we will be seeing Yuvi exit the scene as a cricketer and we need a spin bowling all-rounder in ODIs and in Tests. I don't know about the latter, but Baba should do well in the former - his bowling with its accuracy and flat trajectory is well suited for ODIs. And he finally seems to be settling down as a batsman.

[rkt.india]

http://www.espncricinfo.com/indian-domestic-2012/engine/current/match/574038.html Think we have a decent chance of winning this match. Also excited to see a leg spinner in TN Ranji team.Hopefully he turns out to be as good as the other Ashwin

Watch him Here. http://sportsallways.com/MailScoreCard.aspx?MID=08fe670d867f45f0 Does not look like he turns the ball much. Quickgun Murugan.

[PaceAttack]

Y don't u madarasis produce a quality fast bowler?

[rkt.india]

Y don't u madarasis produce a quality fast bowler?

M Mohammad can be that fast bowler we can keep any eye on. he bowled some quick deliveries in Bucchi Babu.

[rkt.india]

^^ looked medium paced ' date=' though got only 1 over .[/quote'] watch his buchi babu video. not sure how quick he would clock but he did look decently quick.