Dropping Rahul was the turning point: Smaran

As Karnataka defeated Mumbai at home and stormed into the semifinals of the Ranji Trophy, R. Smaran admitted that K.L. Rahul being dropped in the slips on Monday was the turning point of the match.

Rahul was batting on 75 then and Karnataka still had a mountain to climb. But with an overeager Siddhesh Lad squandering an opportunity, Rahul not only scored a century, but also paved the way for the team’s four-wicket win.

And watching the proceedings from the non-striker’s end, Smaran felt that Mumbai couldn’t recover from that setback. “That was the turning point because he (Rahul) is a great player for us, and dropping him will always be very costly. Both of us were looking to play some positive cricket, and that was the talk out there,” Smaran said, adding: “That (the dropped catch) did shift the momentum and got us even more boundaries in the next four-five overs…”

Despite a batting collapse in the first innings, Rahul ensured that Karnataka chased down a big total. Smaran was quick to point out that his presence is an immense boost for the team. “I think it’s a privilege for all of us that he’s come and played the Ranji Trophy games with us. He’s played a lot of Test matches and he carries tremendous experience. Out there in the middle, he kept guiding me and kept telling me what shots I should play and how I could pace my game,” Smaran said. He revealed that the strategy was to ensure that the runs kept flowing.