Time to make it count

After below par shows in the last two years, Karnataka will be eager to return to winning ways

Reputation in sports is built on incredible accomplishments achieved on a consistent basis. Karnataka enjoyed the tag of undisputed champions of domestic cricket when they annexed six trophies in two seasons. In what was a glorious chapter in the history of Karnataka cricket, the most decorated team in South India ensured all eyes were on them with their fearless brand of cricket between 2013 and 15.

The unprecedented run, during which they won the Ranji Trophy, Irani Cup and Vijay Hazare tournaments twice in a row, unearthed many talented players, some of whom made it to the Indian teams in different formats. Such was the dominance of the R Vinay Kumar-led unit that it created a lot of expectations among fans and pundits in the seasons that followed. However, the law of averages did catch up with Karnataka and the cookie finally crumbled.

In the 2015-16 edition of the Ranji Trophy, a proud undefeated streak of 37 first-class matches came to an end when they were knocked out in the group stage. In what was a forgettable season, Karnataka failed to defend their Vijay Hazare Trophy title after bowing out in the league stage. In the last edition, things appeared to be back on track for Karnataka when they stormed into the quarterfinals in Ranji Trophy but their promising campaign was cut short with a huge defeat to Tamil Nadu in the quarterfinals.

As the new season begins from Friday, Karnataka would be eyeing to get their title-winning spell back and a lot depends on how they tackle the challenges that have affected them in the past two years. A settled team is what they will be looking at after continuous changes in the side unsettled their rhythm. Senior players like Manish Pandey, K L Rahul and Karun Nair were in and out of the side thanks to their national commitments and the team management had a tough time finding the combination right.

Injuries to players at crucial junctures didn’t help them either. Short lay-offs and poor comebacks from injury breaks had a negative bearing on the results. Karnataka’s pace bowling, a prime reason behind their unprecedented success, appeared jaded. While H S Sharath was ignored last season, his senior pro Abhimanyu Mithun was a pale shadow of his past. While the experienced duo of Vinay and S Arvind were good, they couldn’t match their own standards of previous seasons. Leg-spinning all-rounder Shreyas Gopal struggled to find form and was ordinary in both the departments.

With series against New Zealand (limited-overs) and Sri Lanka (full-fledged one) lined up for India, the duo of Rahul and Pandey are likely to miss a major to small chunk of the domestic season. Nair, who regained his touch in India ‘A’ and Duleep Trophy games, is in the reckoning to be picked again in Indian side as and when the situation arises. In more than a decade, Karnataka will be without their most experienced batsman in Robin Uthappa who has migrated to Saurashtra this season. Karnataka have also included veterans Amit Verma, who plied his trade for other states for the last three seasons, KB Pawan and Kunal Kapoor in the probables probably to offset the lack of experience in the batting line-up. But whether it is a smart move or a regressive step only time will tell.  

P V Shashikanth, Karnataka’s new coach, is ready to tackle the problem. “There is no denying the fact that K L (Rahul), Manish and Karun are our main batsmen. However, we have to consider their national commitments and prepare accordingly. This time, we are looking at batting options which can bring solidity in their absence. Mir Kaunain Abbas and Mayank Agarwal have made runs in the run-up tournaments while Abhishek Reddy has made a great return from a serious injury. R Samarth, who has impressed at the India ‘A’ level is a key man at the top while Pavan Deshpande has impressed in his limited opportunities,” he explained.

One of the biggest positives for Karnataka from last season was off-spinner K Gowtham. The 28-year-old scripted a memorable comeback after four years with his impressive consistency. Gowtham showcased his match-winning ability and his Ranji efforts took him to new heights. However, Gowtham’s rising career received a blow when the Bengaluru player chose to play a Karnataka Premier League game at the expense of Duleep Trophy without BCCI’s permission. While he was dropped on disciplinary grounds for the succeeding India ‘A’ tour against New Zealand, an inquiry on the episode has been set up by the Board.

Gowtham, though, is Shashikanth’s vital man in the bowling set up. “Last year, he was the fulcrum of our attack. There are indeed lot of improved medium pace bowlers but we are working on forming a strong support system to Gowtham. We want Shreyas and Suchith to be able partners to Gowtham and bowl in tandem. Shreyas has had a good outing in the Safi Darashah and we are instilling more confidence in him” he offered.

The return of the tournament to the home-and-away format gives Karnataka a chance to exploit the familiar conditions. In the pace department, Prasidh Krishna has been rising up the ranks and could be in consideration while a fitter-looking Sharath is also likely to make a comeback. However, it will be interesting to see how the bowling department will be guided, considering no bowling coach has been named. Former State player G K Anil Kumar will be the batting coach.

With a good mix of young talents and experienced campaigners, Karnataka are indeed one of the favourites to emerge champions. A lot, though, depends on how they will embrace the famed winning culture again. “We are trying to get them into the same mode again. There is no dearth of talent. These are players of high standards and they have proven their mettle time and again. It is all about getting the combination right and performing as a unit. Once we click as a group, we can dominate the way would,” said Shashikanth.