‘Maha’ lessons for Hyderabad

Yes! Karnataka have won the Ranji Trophy for the seventh time. Nothing significant because their title showdown was with the surprise of the Ranji pack, who were not even expected to be there in the first place.

It is the phenomenal rise of Maharashtra that needs to be talked about. From almost being relegated to reaching the summit clash, it has been a story of stunning conquests, including taming formidable contenders like Mumbai in the quarterfinals.

Maharashtra’s elevation comes in close contrast to the manner Group C opponent Hyderabad’s prospects took a beating. Neither was expected to go the distance with entering the last eight being a remote possibility. Both Hyderabad and Maharashtra started off in Group C with expectations of a mediocre season. But Maharashtra ended on top while Hyderabad touched the nadir.

On paper, although Hyderabad and Karnataka appeared similar, the former did enjoy the marginal edge because they had proven talent at their disposal with names like Pragyan Ojha, DB Ravi Teja and G H Vihari while the only notable name in Maharashtra ranks was Under-19 World Cup winning captain Vijay Zol.

Despite the odds, Maharashtra had a dream run this year, while Hyderabad suffered a huge disappointment. Hyderabad tasted victory only once in their Ranji campaign against Himachal Pradesh. The other seven matches ended in draw with three points mostly going to the opposition.

On the other hand, Maharashtra topped the Group C table winning four out of their eight group matches and taking three points home in each of the drawn matches. To add to that, they defeated 40-time Ranji champions Mumbai in the quarterfinals and swept aside West Bengal in just three days to book a final berth.

Maharashtra’s Kedar Jadhav ended with the highest number of runs in the Ranji season with 1,223 runs. Hyderabad had a prolific scorer in Hanuma Vihari, who ended sixth on the list with 851 runs.

But what Hyderabad lacked was a strong strike bowler or at least one who strike early. Shrikanth Mundhe and Samad Fallah shared 68 wickets amongst themselves in the season for the finalists.

Hyderabad bowlers were such terrible letdowns that a lowly Tripura enjoyed a run-feast while scoring 650 in Hyderabad.

Another thing that Maharashtra did well and Hyderabad lacked throughout the season was cohesive team spirit. Maharashtra made the most out of every opportunity they got. Hyderabad on the other hand was dependant on individual performances and never managed to get its act together as a team. If application was the need of the hour, Hyderabad lacked it.

Hyderabad cricket has hit rock bottom. If the two-time champions are to bounce back and be strong contenders for the next season, they should take leaf from the exploits of Maharashtra, which does not have a single player enjoying celebrity status.

That Hyderabad has no one who could be counted upon gets evidenced by the Rest of India squad that has been announced for the ensuing Irani Trophy on Monday.

The message is loud and clear-Hyderabadis will remain ignored, at least for quite some time more.