Parthiv Patel run out was a miracle: Sachin Baby

KRISHNAGIRI (Wayanad): The pitch was a tricky one and it was Kerala's match to lose after they had set Gujarat a target of 195. But then they had a seasoned hand in Parthiv Patel who could take the game away quickly by counterattacking. So when he came out to bat after Gujarat lost two quick wickets, Kerala knew they had to get him also soon and that is when captain Sachin Baby produced a moment of brilliance to run his counterpart out with a direct hit."I knew a miracle would happen today and that was a miracle," said Sachin of the run out after the win.
Sachin says he relishes the challenges of captaincy and lauded the players for stepping up. "I like responsibility. I always play for the team. Flexibility in the batting order is a strength of this team. Sijomon grabbed his opportunity at No. 3 and like that whoever we have tried, they have performed well," Sachin said.
Coach Dav Whatmore was also delighted for his troops. "We had a bit of experience of the knockouts from last time. We have used that experience to go one better at least. A very significant victory for the state and for the young players who played under pressure against a very good Gujarat side," said Whatmore.
Sanju Samson, who had drawn praise for his courage to come out and bat with a broken finger on day two, believes Kerala can go and win the Ranji Trophy. "This team can do wonders. We will win the trophy this time," said Sanju. "The decision to bat was taken considering the nature of the pitch and we knew every single run would be vital," added Sanju.