Tamil Nadu paid for their diffidence

At the beginning of the season, I predicted in Wisden Asia Cricket that Tamil Nadu would be strong contenders for the Ranji Trophy, and they proved me right. But in the end, Mumbai were worthy champions by virtue of their ability to bounce back from difficult situations. Tamil Nadu paid for their diffidence. Tamil Nadu's batting line-up comprised Sadagoppan Ramesh, S Sriram, S Sharath and Hemang Badani - all of them hungry to make big scores and prove a point or two - so the tactics of their captain, S Suresh, were disappointing. On the second day, he asked Ramesh to go on the defensive and bat as long as possible, which went contrary to his natural inclinations. Mumbai had been bowled out for a modest score, and had Ramesh scored a quickfire 70 or 80 instead of a six-hour 85, Tamil Nadu could have taken control of the match.

On the other hand, Paras Mhambrey, the Mumbai captain, made good use of his modest resources. I was sceptical about his leadership skills at the beginning of the season, because he is a quiet and reserved kind of character. But Chandrakant Pandit's experience as a coach and player masked Mhambrey's inexperience as captain quite adequately. The good thing about Mhambrey is that he is a hard worker and he wouldn't ask the team to do anything which he won't do himself. So he's got the respect of the team.

The most significant aspect of Mumbai's Ranji campaign this year is that it has been sustained almost entirely by their bowlers and lower-order batting, and not their main batsmen, quite a departure from the past when Mumbai were a batting powerhouse. The matchwinners this season were Ramesh Powar, a powerful lower-order batsman and useful offspinner, Avishkar Salvi, the most promising young new-ball bowler in the country, and Sairaj Bahutule, a legspinner. Powar was involved in a number of rearguard rescues from No. 9, Salvi picked up five-wicket hauls whenever Mumbai needed wickets, and Bahutule delivered in the semi-final and the final, as well as chipping in with several useful cameos with the bat.

But Mumbai's fragile top-order continues to be a concern. Wasim Jaffer came up with two good knocks in the final, but rarely did their batting dominate. To me this is baffling, as Mumbai has a very competitive league tournament in the Times Shield - the traditional breeding-ground for Mumbai's Ranji team. And I can't put a finger on any one reason as to why our batsmen have been unable to perform at first-class level. There are players who have clicked well in the Times Shield but flopped at Ranji level, such as Amol Mazumdar, who has not performed anywhere near expectations.

Another factor could be the usage of the LG Test ball, which is being used in first-class cricket and offers lot of support to the medium-pacers. Previously, when the ball was 15-20 overs old, the seamers were out of the attack, but the LG ball has a longer life and offers lots of movement well into the match, which makes it tougher for the batsmen.

Also there is a direct correlation between the number of hundreds scored in the Times Shield and the Ranji Trophy.­ Other than Wasim Jaffer, no other Ranji batsman has scored centuries consistently in the Times Shield. The skill levels aren't especially low, but batsmen need to be street-smart. Look at Steve Waugh - he's no extraordinary batsman but he consistently scores centuries. Batsmen will need to be more determined to earn their Mumbai cap. At the moment, there is no pool of talent from which the selectors can pick.

Jatin Paranjpe, the former Mumbai Ranji Trophy batsman, was speaking to Nagraj Gollapudi.