What makes Kerala tick in Ranji Trophy

As Kerala enter Ranji Trophy semifinals for the first time, TOI looks at the major factors behind their successful run.
Bowling Depth: Kerala showed that they have got the variety in their attack to trouble any team on any surface, be it a turner at Thumba, or a flier at Amtar. The pace bowlers -- Sandeep Warrier, Basil Thampi and Nidheesh MD -- hunted in a pack sharing 86 wickets among them, while the spinners, led by Jalaj Saxena, turned games around when called upon.Such variety in attack has meant that even when Kerala are playing away, they are a force to be reckoned with as shown by their victories against Bengal and Himachal Pradesh this season.
Fearless Cricket: A feature of Kerala's cricket this season has been that they played for a win, no matter what the situation was. Chasing a tricky target of 297 against Himachal in their final group stage match, at no point did they look like not going for the target. Such an approach has seen them winning four and losing three in the group stages but has also made them a dangerous team that can beat anyone on its day .
Flexible Selection and Combinations: The selectors also deserve a pat on their back for trying out various combinations. They brought in fresh players when they realized something was not working, giving debut to U-19 player Vathsal Govind, a prime example. The induction of Rahul P and Vinoop Manoharan added an extra push to Kerala's run into the semifinal. While Kerala never had a settled playing eleven, partly due to injuries and form of some players, the team management was willing to experiment with various combinations.
Fitness and Fielding: Captain Sachin Baby is the best fielder in the side and he seems to have inspired the troops to follow his example and become better fielders. One of the major strengths of the Kerala team cited often by the opposition players and coaches is their fielding. They put in a lot of effort behind the scenes under fielding coach Mazhar Moidu and it has shown in their ground fielding. Also, the players now understand their bodies better and train the right way, thanks to the work of trainer Rajesh Chauhan who has been with the team for the last two season.