There is an intriguing statistic connected to UPs amazing run to the Ranji final. Despite overhauling several first-innings scores this season,they just have one batsman Tanmay Srivastava among the top-15 run-getters in the tournament. Batsmen have scored big 100s but a typical UP scoreboard consists of one three-digit score surrounded by several single-digit failures. And thats the reason coach Gyanendra Pandey has a worried look on his face when one asks him about batting. It is really strange. Batsmen have not been consistent. Different batsmen have had big scores in different games but most of the time they have not received much support, he says. This came out quite clearly in the semi-final and the final. While Shivakant Shukla and Parvinder Singh scored centuries against Tamil Nadu,they didnt get support from the big names in the team such as Mohammad Kaif and Suresh Raina. The trend has continued in the final too. Raina was run out early and Kaif scored 33,putting the pressure again on the semi-final heroes. Shukla did score 99 but UP needed another big hundred from him. Shukla had scored a modest 244 from five games before the semis. In the early part of the season,the two men in form were Srivastava and Kaif. They were involved in important partnerships and were responsible for UP taking the first-innings lead in six games. If you see the league matches,Tanmay and Kaif saved the team several times. We were lucky that Shiva and Parvinder came to our rescue in the semis. But one cant win all the time with this kind of record, coach Pandey says. Besides these four,the other regular UP run-getters have had a forgettable season. A lot was expected from Raina but he hasnt even crossed the 300-mark this year. Same is true for the two all-rounders in the side,Praveen Kumar and Piyush Chawla. In contrast,the Mumbai batsmen have fired together on several occasions. Wasim Jaffer,Ajinkya Rahane and Rohit Sharma are in the Ranji Trophy top-10 list. And,in the backdrop of UPs batting troubles,Zaheer Khans stunning spell on Wednesday will prove to be the difference between the two sides.
