Ranji Trophy 2024-25: Kerala captain Sachin proud of journey to the final, takes blame for turning point in loss

Ranji Trophy 2024-25: Kerala captain Sachin proud of journey to the final, takes blame for turning point in loss

Sachin Baby has no qualms to admit that his slog-sweep was a turning point in the Ranji Trophy final.

He had been batting brilliantly up until that moment, leading Kerala’s spirited chase for the first-innings lead against Vidarbha. After he was caught at deep mid-wicket, Kerala’s reply to the hosts’ 379 ended 37 runs behind.

“If I take credit for the success, I will take the blame for failure, too,” Sachin said. “Nobody plays a shot to get out,” he said. “That shot was not on my mind, actually. Maybe, it was a brain fade moment. But on this wicket, you had to play shots. If I had played too defensively, there would have been pressure on the team and myself.”

He said he was proud of Kerala’s journey to a historic Ranji Trophy final. “But we have to improve still,” he said. “I was telling the team about how Vidarbha came back from the defeat in last year’s final to win the trophy this year.”

About Kerala’s decision to bowl first after winning the toss, “We saw the wicket was green and moist, and we were playing an extra seamer,” he said. “And we did get three wickets, but Vidarbha played smart cricket, changing their batting order. We still were in the game till the final day. We were confident we could chase a target had we got them out early in the morning.”

Sachin was particularly pleased with the way the 19-year-old Eden Apple Tom bowled.

“I had captained Eden on his debut at Rajok three years ago,” he said. “I had been requesting (the selectors) to pick him in the team. At the nets, he was bowling the kind of lengths that international bowlers do. He has pace and movement. He will take more than 200 wickets for Kerala.”