NEWS
Follow UsTamil Nadu’s head coach Sulakshan Kulkarni has made an explosive remark after losing the 2023-24 Ranji Trophy semi-final against Mumbai, saying his team lost the game right at the toss. Kulkarni, who has played and coached Mumbai in the past, wanted Tamil Nadu to bowl but skipper R Sai Kishore opted to bat and the move backfired.
"I always speak straightforward - we lost the match at 9 o'clock on day one. The moment I saw the wicket I exactly knew what we were going to get. Everything was set, we won the toss, as a coach, as a Mumbaikar, I know the conditions well. We should have bowled but the captain had some different instinct,” said Kulkarni after Tamil Nadu lost by an innings and 70 runs inside three days.
Opting to bat, Tamil Nadu lost five wickets with just 42 runs on the board and were eventually bowled out for 146 in the first innings. They still managed to reduce Mumbai to 106/7 but that’s when Shardul Thakur smashed 109 off 104 deliveries, as Mumbai’s last three wickets added 272 runs. Tanush Kotian remained unbeaten on 89, while Tushar Deshpande also hit 26. Mumbai got a lead of 232 and then bowled Tamil Nadu out for just 162 in the second innings.
This is soo WRONG
— DK (@DineshKarthik) March 5, 2024
This is so disappointing from the coach ..instead of backing the captain who has brought the team to the semis after 7 yrs and thinking it's a start for good things to happen, the coach has absolutely thrown his captain and team under the bus
👎🏽👎🏽👎🏽👎🏽👎🏽 https://t.co/Ii61X7Ajqs
"When I saw that they had played on a different pitch in the quarter-final and what wicket they gave, I realised that this is a seaming-friendly wicket and it was going to be a very tough match, and we would have to play really well to win this game. Ultimately he (Sai Kishore) is the boss. I can give my feedback and inputs (on) the kind of wickets and Mumbai's mindset,” said Kulkarni.
"We were mentally prepared that whoever wins the toss would bowl first. We knew that we would bowl first. The moment they (on the TV broadcast) heard we would bat first, whatever you say (on how tough it can be to bat early on), it goes in the batsmen's minds. That first half an hour (before play) got in the batsmen's minds.
"When you get into the first over, where the third (fourth) ball, your international player gets out and you see the situation… in the first hour, it's difficult. We lost the plot in the first hour, it's very difficult to come back from there."
Talking about Mumbai’s lower-order, Kulkarni said: “They are the best Nos. 9 and 10 in India. I told this in the dressing room that their batting starts after No. 6. I can take the horse to the water, (but) the horse has to drink."
