Looking to recreate magic

S Arvind, the old warhorse of Karnataka cricket, combined with skipper R Vinay Kumar and Abhimanyu Mithun to form one of the best pace attacks in the country. The three were ruthless in their approach as Karnataka dominated teams with ease between 2013-15.

Following two quiet seasons, Arvind hopes to taste similar success this time around.

“The target is to win the Ranji Trophy,” said Arvind. “The batsmen will look to be in the top four run-getters while the bowlers will aim to take 40 odd wickets in the season. We will take it one match at a time and cannot think too much about the future now,” remarked Arvind.

Flat surfaces and injuries to his bowling partners increased the burden on Arvind’s shoulders in the previous editions. Despite the challenges, the left-arm seamer gave regular breakthroughs to be the captain’s go to man.

The left-arm seamer said there is no big secret to his consistency.

“It is all hard work. I try to bowl the right length. My main strategy is to make the batsmen play. Bowling well in tandem with your partner is important and it gives you wicket. My strategy is to bowl at least five maiden overs to force the batsmen to commit mistakes. So it is important to pitch it in the right areas and shape the ball. Even on hard or flat surfaces you need swing the ball,” he offered.

Arvind’s ability to think on the feet has often given him rewards. The 33-year-old believes in creating match situations during practice sessions. “We need to work hard to be street smart. It’s not easy to get everything that you want. Even while bowling in nets you have to execute the right things. Our performance on the field depends on how well do we do in the practice sessions. Match situation should be created in the practice session. You need to keep repeating it, even if you are tired,” he explained.

With the team undergoing slight transition, to regain the lost mojo will be a big test for Karnataka. “We can definitely set the standard that we did a couple of years ago. The current members of the team have performed well coming into the Ranji Trophy. Even in the practice games, the players have done well and that confidence will help us in the league stage. Last two years, we didn’t start well and that had an impact. We didn’t win the first game. This time, we are aiming to start with a victory,” he said.