It was a day where pacer Nachiket Bhute and opener Aman Mokhade, while bringing Vidarbha back into the game, also showed the mirror to Tamil Nadu. Having struck late on Day One with the second new ball to remove centurion Pradosh Ranjan Paul, Bhute had already provided the opening that Vidarbha sought. On Day Two of the Ranji Trophy fixture on Sunday, the 26-year-old took the new ball in the absence of Darshan Nalkande and Yash Thakur, and drilled more holes into the opening he created – castling Shahrukh Khan, Baba Indrajith and Mohamed Ali, in a 9-4-22-3 spell. Tamil Nadu lost their last seven wickets for 39 runs to endure another collapse – the third successive in Coimbatore in as many innings. With just 291 to defend on a pitch that had runs there for the taking, the 24-year-old Mokhade who had scored 183 & 176 in the first two matches, set the tone with 80 at the top as the defending champions ended Day 2 at 211/2, letting out their intention to bat long and push for an innings win.
Against a Vidarbha team that won 8 of the 10 matches on the way to their third Ranji title last season, Tamil Nadu’s resolve was always going to be tested and their worst fears came true. From the moment they took the new ball, Vidarbha created opportunities with Bhute single-handedly leading the charge. With TN batsmen being tentative against the seaming ball, Bhute focussed on targeting the stumps. Shahrukh, unable to trust his defence, walked down and hit Bhute for a huge six. But in the next over, his defence was breached as he stayed back for the one where he should have played forward. In his next over, Indrajith, batting on 96, inside-edged one that angled in and two overs later Ali played the wrong line to see the off-stump rattled to give the pacer his second five-fer of the season.
When TN came searching for wickets, Mokhade punished them with purpose. The 24-year-old was part of the first XI last season, but was in and out, playing just four matches. Told before the season that he would get ample opportunities this season, he started with 183 against Nagaland and followed it up with 176 against Jharkhand and right through his stay on Sunday, looked assured to make three centuries in a row, before working a ball to the short-leg fielder on 80.
“The feeling is absolutely magical for me because it has been an important three knocks,” Mokhade said. Mokhade’s career arc is something for TN to take note of. One of Vidarbha’s strongest suits has been their age-group system, which has been an excellent feeding system for the senior side, playing a huge role in their success. Mokhade is a product of that system. He was part of the U16 team that won their first title. He was part of the team that won the U19 title before repeating it in the U25s. Last season that same winning habit continued in the Ranji Trophy.
“I have been part of this side for three-four years now. The good thing our management and our team does is, they give chances to promising players who are doing well in age groups. Even if they are not part of the side, they keep them there and tell them that we are looking towards you. You can get a chance when there is an opportunity. So, we are always on our toes. And being with the team at that age gives you a lot of confidence,” Mokhade says.
Having made his debut in the 2022-23 season on the back of strong performances in U-25 levels, he was brought into the system to understand how the senior environment worked. If not Ranji, he was busy playing the CK Nayudu Trophy and last season, despite being dropped from the XI, they made him stay with the team to learn from the likes of Dhruv Shorey and Yash Rathod. “We have a small circuit. We have small quantity, limited players, but we have quality players. And U19 and U23 all of us practice together. We are also made to be part of the senior side, so that gives us massive confidence. I’ve come from Under-14 levels and the facilities that we got then were similar to the Ranji team. So, the base is very firm there. And, we have that habit of winning trophies. Somehow, we have got that,” he said.
For a 24-year-old who has grown up in the T20 era, Mokhade looked technically sound, which is a testament to the strong base he mentions. Against pacers and spinners, he seldom let the bat hang out, played as close to the body as possible, showing the intent to dominate even in defence. That each of his two centuries have been daddy hundreds is also down to the influence of the seniors in the dressing room. “I have learned a lot from Yash bhai, seeing him from age groups, scoring those big runs, I’ve wanted to do the same. I’ve seen how much hunger he has and the attitude with which he approaches games. Even others like Dhruv bhaiya also do the same and that energy is contagious. They speak about getting 1000 runs, 1200 runs in the dressing room. When you hear that, those thoughts get planted in your head as well,” he said.
Story continues below this ad
In essence, it is the sort of talk that has been missing in Tamil Nadu’s ranks.
Brief scores: Tamil Nadu 291 (Baba Indrajith 96; Nachiket Bhute 5/65; Parth Rekhade 3/58) vs Vidarbha 211/2 (Dhruv Shorey 80 batting, Aman Mokhade 80)
