VID vs KER, Ranji Trophy 2024-25 Final: Eden Apple Tom serves a reminder of his promise with crucial wickets against Vidarbha
VID vs KER, Ranji Trophy 2024-25 Final: Eden Apple Tom serves a reminder of his promise with crucial wickets against Vidarbha
Even before Kerala established itself as a team to watch out for in the Ranji Trophy, it had a legacy in pace bowling. Tinu Yohannan, S. Sreesanth, Sandeep Warrier, Basil Thampi, K.M. Asif, Prasanth Parameswaran and Prasanth Chandran have all caught the eye with their speed or swing.
Three years ago, a 16-year-old seemed poised to keep the tradition forward. Eden Apple Tom had a dream debut; he took a wicket with his first ball in First Class cricket. He had visualised it, he told this correspondent at Rajkot back in 2022, after having Meghalaya opener Kishan Lyngdo caught at slip.
But a stress fracture on his back kept him away from cricket for an entire season. He is back playing the Ranji Trophy, though. And he is looking good.
He came up with a crucial spell against Vidarbha on the second day of the Ranji Trophy final at the VCA Stadium here on Thursday. He dismissed a batter who came into this match with 933 runs to his credit — Yash Rathod — deceiving him with a ball that swung away.
Sony Cheruvathur, who coached him from his formative years, is delighted Eden has returned to the senior Kerala team. “He is a special talent, one of the best I have come across,” Sony told Sportstar from Dubai, where Eden used to train at his academy. “He can go a long way.”
He is deceptively quick, has a good bouncer and can trouble the batter with his angles, too. And he can get better too as he is just 19. Kerala needs to handle him with care.
