The fifth round of the 2007-08 Ranji Trophy witnessed a thriller at Jhalawar’s Sports Complex, where hosts Rajasthan lost three wickets in a manic final over. Jamie Alter spoke to a few who where there
Interviews by Jamie Alter14-Dec-2007
Once Robin Bist departed, Rajasthan collapsed © Nishant Ratnakar/ Bangalore Mirror
Bist, Rajasthan batsman:It was very tense in the dressing room. I was batting well, and it looked like we could get there, but then I got run out. It was a very, very close call. In the last over, we needed nine runs…Pankaj went for a slog and got a thick inside-edge down to third man for a boundary, and we were like, , thats a relief.Aloke Bhattacharjee, square-leg umpire: Pankaj is a sturdy lad, capable of hitting the ball. This one was a big slog that ran down to third man. Rajasthan looked pumped up.Amol Muzumdar, Mumbai captain: Pankaj went for a hit and edged to the third man for a boundary, which really tilted the match. It put us under pressure.
Bist: We needed four from four balls. The second ball was a single, thanks to a fumble behind the stumps, which got newcomer Afroz Khan on strike. Bhattacharjee: Second ball, the wicketkeeper, Vinayak Samant, fumbled the collection and they ran a quick single. They got off on that missed chance.Muzumdar: My field was in and out, to ensure they didn’t get any more boundaries. We knew we had to restrict any boundary-scoring options.
Bist: First ball, an under-pressure Afroz worked the ball away but straight to the fielder. I didn’t even take my pads off, it was so tense. Bhattacharjee: The new man didn’t look all that comfortable as he faced up. He hit it to a fielder and they didn’t chance a run.
Bist: Next ball, Afroz got a very good full delivery, which he missed, and was bowled. He was devastated when he came back into the pavilion. Bhattacharjee: Oh that was a great ball, a lovely full delivery. That batsman played all over it. Knocked over the stumps. The ball to [from Hussain] Aslam was also very good, a well-directed delivery. The batsman had no chance of hitting it with a slog.Muzumdar: Afroz was cleaned up on the fourth ball. I wanted a length ball, but it ended up a bit full, but worked for us, so I was very happy. That got the team very pumped up.
Bist: We just told each passing batsman, don’t go for a big shot, rather wait and rely on getting singles. We can do this. Shamsher Singh came out, had a few words with Pankaj, and told me later that he was expecting a short ball. He stayed back, in anticipation, but the ball was fuller. He played across the line and somehow edged a single down to third man. The batsmen scampered one, but turned and went back for a non-existent second run. There was a fumble on the boundary but the second just wasn’t on. There was some confusion, they each turned back, and Shamsher was run out from a very good direct hit.You could really see the tension across Amol’s face. But he kept his cool, and called his players together. He infused confidence in them, told them that could win this. It was very inspiring to see Bhattacharjee: It was a genuine edge, and you could tell the pressure on their faces. They just turned and ran, and Shamsher was out by some distance.Muzumdar: He edged it to third man, they ran one and tried the second, but a direct hit from Sahil Kukreja was spot on, which was really great for us. It lifted the mood further. That’s when I called everyone together and said, come on, we can do this.
Bist: We were now nine down, with one ball to go, and three runs to get. At this time we said just tie it somehow. Mohammad Aslam was the last man in, and he was a bit nervous. He wanted a single, somehow, but Hussain again bowled a good yorker and Aslam was bowled, just trying to defend. We were in shock. It was very hard to digest. Bhattacharjee: Before anything, I must tell you something. You could really see the tension across Amol’s face. But he kept his cool, and called his players together. He infused confidence in them, told them that could win this. It was very inspiring to see. Aslam had no clue about that last ball; it just beat him for pace. Another lovely yorker. What a match, and what an over. Just think about what was must have been going through young Murtaza’s mind, with hardly any experience. He bowled an excellent over, and mixed his deliveries very well. In all my years of umpiring I’ve not been involved in a match like this. There was a good crowd on days one and three, but it’s a pity not many turned up on the final day.Muzumdar: A lot of the guys were in their first or second seasons for Mumbai, and for Murtaza it was just his second season. I had to keep my cool. I made sure everyone was thinking of a victory. It was important for us to maintain a winning tempo. If you think of losing the match, you can mess up. I’d told Hussain to bowl a length ball, which we had decided before he started his run-up. I didn’t want him to edge it for four. I had my fielder in, and the ball was fuller than anticipated, but luckily he missed it and it shattered the stumps. We just erupted in celebration, such was the feeling. It was really something special. To win a match like that, it was really amazing.
