Two-month break an opportunity and a challenge: Yo Mahesh

Just as all the pieces of the jigsaw puzzle seemed to fall into place for Tamil Nadu, a two-month break in the Ranji Trophy comes to make way for the white-ball tournaments in November and December.

TN head coach Yo Mahesh feels the interruption could disrupt the side’s momentum slightly, but also sees an opportunity to plug a few holes before the competition resumes in January.

“Definitely, the momentum will come down a bit. After a two-month gap, we will have to regroup and try to get the momentum again. That’s where the challenge is,” Yo Mahesh told The Hindu in an exclusive interaction following his team’s victory over Chandigarh on Thursday.

However, he felt the break could also work in the side’s favour, particularly for the bowlers.

“We have to make sure they get to play a few matches so that they get game time. The bowlers also get a good rest and can come back a lot fresher for the second half,” he said.

The opening partnerships remain a concern, while the batters have struggled to convert promising starts into substantial scores.

“The opening partnership is one hole we want to plug. We have had a couple of big hundreds from Pradosh, but we want the others also to chip in,” he said.

Skipper R. Sai Kishore, meanwhile, was pleased with the seamers’ contribution, particularly after they accounted for seven wickets in Chandigarh’s first innings.

“We are not dependent only on spin anymore. Even the fast bowlers are stepping up. It goes to show that, as a unit, we are very strong,” he said.

Sai Kishore also pointed to S. Ajith Ram’s maiden First Class century as a welcome contribution from the lower-order.

The pieces may be falling into place. Come January, the challenge will be to pick up from where it left off.