Kerala spinner Jalaj Saxena was confident his workforce may prise out the final three Gujarat wickets early on day 5 to achieve the first-innings lead within the Ranji Trophy semifinal right here.
The veteran spinner bowled 36 overs on day 4, bagging 4 wickets to carry his workforce again within the recreation after Gujarat raced to 238 for the lack of a single wicket.
“This has been the story of Kerala’s whole season. We are now habitual of these clutch moments and are hopeful we can do well tomorrow,” Jalaj stated.
“Credit should be given to the Gujarat batters. They played brilliantly. They showed great confidence in their defence and some grit on the ground.” he added.
The encounter on the Narendra Modi Stadium is Kerala’s first style of the Ranji semifinal since 2018-19. Jalaj credited head coach Amay Khurasiya’s enter for the facet punching above its weight this season.
“The coach’s impact is huge on the team. I can proudly say that Kerala is now one of the most hardworking teams in India,” the off-spinner opined.
“The coach is making sure that every player is spending hours and hours in the nets. We are being motivated every day,” he added.
The all-rounder additionally voiced his frustration over Gujarat’s choice to carry on Hemang Patel rather than the concussed Ravi Bishnoi.
“I don’t think it’s fair. Bishnoi generally bats at nine or ten for his side. You are getting a player who is batting at number five and he scored a crucial 30 runs,” he stated.
Published – February 20, 2025 07:47 pm IST
