We lost match at 9 o’clock on day one”: Tamil Nadu coach after loss to Mumbai in Ranji Trohpy semifinal

Mumbai (Maharashtra) [India], March 5 (ANI): With their Ranji Trophy ambitions having sunk due to loss in the semi-final, Tamil Nadu head coach Sulkashan Kulkarni has expressed his differences with the team captain R Sai Kishore ‘s decision to bat first and said they lost the match at “9 o’clock on day one”.

“I always speak straightforward – we lost the match at 9 o’clock on day one. The moment I saw the wicket I exactly knew what we were going to get,” Kulkarni said after the match, according to ESPNcricinfo.

The 57-year-old head coach said he is from Mumbai and he knew the conditions well but the team skipper had different plans.

“Everything was set, we won the toss, as a coach, as a Mumbaikar, I know the conditions well. We should have bowled but the captain had some different instinct,” the coach added.

Mumbai won by an innings and 70 runs over Tamil Nadu on Monday at MCA Cricket Ground.

Tamil Nadu could score only 146 and 162 in their two innings while Mumbai scored 378.

Shardul Thakur’s all-round performance including a ton and two-wicket strong bowling performance from Shams Mulani powered Mumbai to the final. Tamil Nadu batters failed to deliver with the bat against Ajinkya Rahane