Spinners usually take longer to mature. Longer hours under the sun dictated by longer spells to prise out batters with the red ball. When they fully grasp their art form, it should coincide with an opening for higher honours.
This could well be that moment for Tanush Kotian where stars align as India are on the lookout for quality off-spinners.
Following his season-best 8/81 against Haryana last week, the tall Mumbai bowler claimed another rich haul of 7/45 against Railways in the first innings of the Ranji Trophy Elite Group D tie on Wednesday.
The ongoing First-Class season is already seen Kotian take 37 wickets in seven matches – 22 of them in Ranji Trophy with the fourth game in progress. The results have come across a spread of tournaments – Duleep Trophy, matches against Australia A and Ranji Trophy. Kotian’s purple patch could not have been timed better with the marquee home Test series against Australia on the horizon.
“I think I am close,” Kotian, 28, told reporters at the Brabourne Stadium. “It’s up to the selectors but I take every innings like an opportunity.”
For a slow starter in his First-Class career that took off in 2018, Kotian’s form surge is down to a better understanding of pitches and conditions. He may have returned career-best match figures of 11/151 at the BKC ground, but that pitch was a typical slow turner, often seen in domestic cricket.
The Brabourne pitch was closer to what’s seen in home Tests – quicker and with the potential for spinners to rush the batter if they knew to use the cutters well.
“The straighter one was effective on this wicket. So, I think being accurate and bowling those pressure balls was crucial. Patience was the key. Even if we are not getting wickets, putting pressure on the batsmen helped me make them play rash shots,” he said.
Kotian has spoken of advanced work with elite coaches on angles and use of the crease. “I used it to good effect with two straighter ones that got me wickets, lbw.”
Working under different captains is another learning and adjustment for a spinner. If Shardul Thakur last year was a more attacking captain, Siddhesh Lad this year is a calmer leader, felt Kotian. Though he spoke of enjoying bowling under two different leadership styles, the results are outstanding now. Perhaps, the next time Kotian will demand the ball from his captain much earlier, much before it loses a lot of its hardness. Kotian has earned that right based on his current form.
Whether he has done enough to get the Test call-up will be known over the next couple of months. The Ranji Trophy now takes a pause for Mumbai, to return to action on Jan 17 for its next league match. Kotian would rather be in Nagpur on Jan 21 where India will take on Australia in the first Test of the Border-Gavaskar Trophy series.