It’s the same story yet again as TN team promises a lot but fails to deliver

Tamil Nadu's Ranji Trophy defeat highlights technical flaws, missed opportunities, and potential for future improvement in domestic cricket.

Tamil Nadu’s crushing 198-run defeat against Vidarbha in the quarterfinals of the Ranji Trophy extended the team’s barren run in domestic cricket for a third consecutive year.

When it came to a knockout game in seamer-friendly conditions, the players’ technical inadequacies were exposed again. In the semifinals against Mumbai last year, the match was lost on the first morning after being bowled out for 146.

The quarterfinal saw a similar script play out, as the top order surrendered meekly against a good Vidarbha attack. The TN batters lacked discipline and patience against the new ball when the need of the hour was a tight defence to see off the first hour. The team lost four wickets for less than 40 runs in both innings and could never recover from there.

The batters needed only to look at how Vidarbha’s Karun Nair played on the opening day: resolute in defence, playing close to the body, scoring a fine century.

The batting unit had a middling time throughout the season, and the performance here in Nagpur was not wholly surprising. The TNCA boasts one of the best league-cricket structures in the country with good corporate support. The association even arranged an exposure tour to the UK last summer for players not part of the IPL to shore up their skills in pace-friendly conditions. Still, the onus lies on the players, especially the senior pros who have played at higher levels, to take responsibility and deliver in crucial games and challenging conditions.

Notwithstanding the poor results, there were some silver linings too. The performances of C. Andre Sidarth, 18, and S. Mohamed Ali, 20, augur well for the future. Andre finished as the second-highest run-getter (612 runs) for the side in his rookie year and scored vital runs when the team was in trouble. The success of the under-19 boys in the Cooch Behar Trophy should embolden the selectors to take some bold calls next year.

TN — considered a powerhouse in T20 cricket and having the best state-level T20 competition (Tamil Nadu Premier League) — failed to reach the knockout stages of the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy for the third straight year and needs to address this.