A job well begun is half done. Tamil Nadu was not completely dominant in their seven-wicket win over Assam but there was enough good cricket to ensure a safe campaign till the knockouts. There is no better example than history. The team has been carried away after one or two good games. It is important for Dinesh Karthik and his men to build it well rather than peak too early as they have done in the last two seasons.
Adequate positives emerged from the season opener. The ability of S. Anirudha to adapt to varied demands was heart warming. After a workmanlike hundred at number six against Delhi in the quarterfinals last year he has followed up with two knocks of substance against Assam. Debutant Sunil Sam did the set the house on fire in the senior division league but came up trumps when it mattered. The knock of 74 from R. Sathish showed there is enough in the bench when bigger stars leave for national duty.
Nothing matters more than winning and in that sense Tamil Nadu could not have hoped for a better opponent than newly promoted Assam. It goes without saying that batting will be TN’s strength and the bowlers will have to stick to the basics realising their limitations. The new ball department hinges heavily on L. Balaji’s rhythm. C. Ganapathy is a hard working bowler but not a strike force. The role of Sunil Sam stands magnified as the side continues in search for a speedster to provide them the cutting edge.
A debut is relatively easy but the going will get tough in the next game against Delhi and it will be interesting to see how Sunil Sam stands up against a better set of batsmen. The spin department headed by R. Ashwin did not have the wickets to show. At the start of the season, with the wickets playing their best, being steady is what is expected of them and they filled that slot well. R. Aushik Srinivas can only improve with age; the rookie though must look at creating opportunities rather than wait for the batsmen to make mistakes all the time.
Unless the heavily talented side makes an impact in the business end of the tournament they will not be doing justice. Taming opponents when there is little at stake does not call for mental toughness. The key is to continue in the right vein and play fearless cricket. Fear of failure has been the bane of Tamil Nadu for long. In the likes of Balaji, S. Badrinath and Dinesh Karthik the squad has seniors who badly want a Ranji title in their resume. The need to be cohesive as a unit never stood more pronounced.
There were good reasons to be happy in the league stage last year. All the seven games were played outside home and the 50-day road trip made the team bond better. Unity the big factor lacking in the past is not a grey area anymore. It is a committed bunch enjoying each other’s success and it will be a total discredit if they fail to make an impact. Playing six of the seven games at home could help the side to top the group.