Toss was crucial, says Jharkhand skipper Kushagra

After the one-sided nine-wicket win over Tamil Nadu, Jharkhand captain Kumar Kushagra said his team was peaking up at the right time and added that there was still scope for improvement.

Kushagra said winning the toss was important and credited the bowlers and batters for the emphatic win. “The toss was crucial as there was help for the bowlers early on. However, the conditions had eased by the end of the 10th over. The pitch was on the slower side and our spinners bowled really well. We were able to keep the Tamil Nadu batters on a tight leash. They lost wickets at the wrong time and I felt the total of 243 was inadequate to challenge our batting. Utkarsh and Shikar were outstanding and I am happy with this win,” said the wicketkeeper-batter.

“We played the ball on merit and didn’t waste any opportunity to punish the loose balls. There wasn’t much help for the bowlers though the pitch was on the slower side. I enjoyed playing with Shikhar Mohan. We have a good understanding and I am happy that I could contribute to the team’s win,” said Utkarsh whose unbeaten 123 was central to Jharkhand’s win.