Before the five-wicket haul against Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy here, Ronit More’s last such effort was almost five years ago in late 2013 against Haryana. It was not one bit surprising to see the 26-year-old pleased as a punch.
“It feels great,” he said at the end of the day’s play. “The first five-wicket haul is always special. But this one…doing it at home with my parents watching…it’s an amazing experience. I have been waiting for this opportunity for a long time.”
More has had to do it the tough way. Karnataka’s fast-bowling scene, in the last few years, has been dominated by the trio of Vinay Kumar, Abhimanyu Mithun and S. Aravind, so much so that finding a place in the playing XI is an achievement in itself.
READ| Five-for More roars for Karnataka
“It has been difficult as three or four fast bowlers from the state have been playing for a few years and represented our country also,” he said. “I was not out of the 15-man squad and was always waiting for my chance in the XI. I also went to play for Himachal [in search of game time].”
“In such a scenario, it was important to have the right mindset,” More said.
Interestingly, even the opportunity in this match came after a late injury to skipper Vinay Kumar. “This is not the first time it has happened. Couple of times before also I have been drafted in late. But I will always have a mindset that I will be playing. I will be ready until the toss. After the toss, I can’t do much. But I’ll be ready until then.”
For now, More can rest easy. Even in the event of Vinay returning for the next match against Maharashtra in Mysuru, fellow paceman Prasidh Krishna’s departure for the Emerging Teams Asia Cup solves a selection headache. But competition is what fires him, he said.
“It is always good. It keeps me on my toes all the time to perform whenever I get a chance."
Ever since he made his debut in 2012, he has featured in just 13 first-class matches.
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