Will VB turn messiah?

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With every passing season Tamil Nadu’s big Ranji dream takes a mellower shade. The appointment of former Indian ODI batsman VB Chandrasekhar as head coach has come after much deliberation but one that is expected to make a significant value addition to TN’s quest to regain the national title.

Widely regarded as an astute strategist and clear thinking captain, VB brings to the table his rich and varied experience, roles for the 50-year-old have ranged from chairman of selectors to a respected broadcaster.

The inability of the state side to win the title has puzzled many and VB is no exception. “The title drought has baffled me for long. Given the infrastructure and talent available we should have won the title, especially after made the final three times in the last 11 seasons. At times I felt we have not been positive enough with our bowling and also failed to step up our game at pivotal moments,” said VB.

The last tryst for VB with the state team was chairing the selection committee in 2006-07, the season that saw a young R. Ashwin make his first-class debut. VB moved to the commentary box after that, a job that helped him keep in touch with the game and follow the fortunes of young talents from the state.

For someone who has been critical of strategies and player approach the role of coach is a far shift and one that is highly accountable. “It is new and a huge challenge, one that I am looking forward to. If my experience as a player, captain, selector and later as a media professional helps me then I can only be happy about it,” added VB.

The last decade has seen the state churn out more players to the national side than it has ever done before, making the failure at crucial junctures even more perplexing. The final against Rajasthan was seen as a golden opportunity only for the hosts to finish second best.

“I cannot really answer as to what went wrong until I am a part of the dressing room. The recent defeat had a lot to do with the toss and the fact that the wicket not suiting our style of play,” explained VB.

Results alone cannot be the yardstick to measure success of a coach and they require fair time to understand the players. “One win will not mean that I did everything right. Small blocks were built by the likes of B. Arun, WV Raman and Abdul Jabbar. If the team does well the credit should go to all of them. It is a team effort and everyone has to play their part,” noted VB.

The decision to appoint VB must have come as a surprise to many but his approach usually doesn’t hold many surprises. A no frills professional, VB could provide a pleasant shock or two and well turn out to be the messiah, TN has been praying for long.