Post News Network
Bhubaneswar, Nov 2: Orissa’s bowling mainstay Basant Mohanty, who took six wickets including a hat-trick in the second innings against Delhi in the Ranji Trophy tie here ,blamed batting for the team’s poor show in the match.
“There bowling was not that unplayable, rather we played badly. Our shot selections were poor. We had planned to see off the bowlers in the first hour and then increase the rate against the old ball, but that never happened,” Basant said after the end of the match here Monday.
“Our tailenders are also not contributing with the bat. On the other hand, the opposition lower-order batsmen are making crucial contributions. This is one area we need to address very quickly,” the lanky bowler added.
Basant admitted that his hat-trick would have given him more satisfaction, had his team won the match. “Definitely it’s a milestone for me. But I would have enjoyed it more if we had won the game outright or even managed the first innings lead,” he pointed out.
When asked about his planning before delivering the hat-trick ball, an affable Basant said, “I didn’t think anything, I just wanted to stick to the basics. I have been on the verge of a hat-trick at least 10-12 times. From my previous experiences, I had learnt that luck also plays a part in a bowler getting a hat-trick. Today I was lucky.”
