Praveen Kumar isnt the typical tearaway pacer,one who gives batsmen sweaty palms. Add to that his 24 wicketless overs on Sunday,in the background of Tamil Nadus Day One score of 296/2,and the sight of Praveen with the ball in hand at the start of play this morning didnt quite set the pulse racing. But underestimating him is a big risk,and Tamil Nadu seemed to fall into that trap as the medium pacer picked up three quick wickets in his first spell to turn the game on its head. With the other Kumar Bhuvneshwar chipping in with the wicket of the dangerous S Vidyut,Tamil Nadu went from a commanding position to 353/7,before a late flourish by C Ganapathy (67 not out) saw them reach 445. At stumps,UP had received an early setback,with Tanmay Srivastava caught in the slips for one. But with Suresh Raina in fine touch,the battle for the first-innings lead and a place in the Ranji Trophy final is just getting warmed up. UP,with nine wickets in hand,need 421 more runs to settle the issue. Big wickets The fact that UP got a foot in the door after a listless display on the first day was mainly due to Praveens opening spell of 13-6-24-3,during which he accounted for the overnight batsmen S Badrinath and Dinesh Karthik,as well as all-rounder Suresh Kumar. With all his victims edging the ball to the wicket-keeper,it was easy to understand that Praveen was in his elements. Precise and subtle movement of the ball,both ways,and shrewd variations have been prominent features of the UP pacer. While Badrinath and Suresh were beaten by the ball that came in,the other right-hander,Karthik,edged a straighter one. The best thing about him is his never-say-die spirit, UP coach Gyanendra Pandey said. He never gives up. Ask him to bowl all day and he will do that. In the absence of RP Singh,we heavily depend on PK. The coach isnt alone in speaking of Praveens will to succeed and regulars on the domestic circuit vouch for his enthusiasm for bowling long spells on dead tracks and the ability to turn things. Several of his team mates say that even when Praveen doesnt have the ball in hand,he happens to be the best man to be around when the chips are down. Regardless of the match situation,his wisecracks are constantly on. There isnt a dull moment when he is around, says a UP player. With UP facing an uphill task,Praveen will play a big role in his teams fortunes. While his contribution with the bat will count,it might be his ability to keep the atmosphere in the dressing room light that will come in handy.
