Kudos: Nagaland coach Mohanty was extremely pleased with Nischal’s performance.
| Photo Credit: K. MURALI KUMAR
It was not the result Tamil Nadu had hoped for, but the team managed to secure a 66-run first-innings lead against a resilient Nagaland side on the final day of the Group-A Ranji Trophy clash at the BCCI CoE Ground here on Tuesday.
TN coach M. Senthilnathan and his Nagaland counterpart Debashish Mohanty shared their thoughts on the match.
“This wasn’t the result we wanted. We were hoping for something better. But that’s how the game is. The wicket was really good, even on the last day. I think this is a fair result. Also, Nagaland really applied themselves well and fought hard,” Senthilnathan told The Hindu.
“People might be surprised to see Nagaland put up such a fight, but you have to give them credit. The left-hander (Imliwati Lemtur) showed grit,” added Senthilnathan.
Mohanty added: “We played really well. Honestly, if you ask me, the boys showed great character, especially playing against Tamil Nadu — a big team, obviously.”
“After that initial collapse (31 for four), to come back from there required a lot of character. Degal Nischal and Imliwati, especially, and also Yugandhar Singh — a young guy — all showed great fight,” added Mohanty.
“Imliwati’s innings put TN under pressure. Nischal was holding one end, and when Imli started scoring freely, they didn’t expect that. When a No. 7 batter from Nagaland starts counterattacking the top bowlers, naturally, they felt the pressure.”
“The biggest positive was the application the boys showed. That was really remarkable. Of course, there are areas we need to work on — mainly fielding and bowling. But overall, I’m quite happy with how things are shaping up.”
Published – October 28, 2025 09:21 pm IST
