A chit on the dressing-room wall — how Tripura turned the tables on Saurashtra

FILE PHOTO: Sanip Sarkar picked eight wickets in Tripura’s win over Saurashtra in a Ranji Trophy fixture. | Photo Credit: NAGARA GOPAL

A small chit on the dressing-room wall carried Tripura’s bowling plans — the areas to target, the lines to bowl and how to approach individual batters.

Satrajit Lahiri had spent hours studying Saurashtra. Now, he wanted his bowlers to execute the plans.

They did. After three successive defeats, Tripura stunned former champion Saurashtra at home, with 23-year-old off-spinner Sandip Sarkar claiming eight wickets to lead the revival.

Former Bengal cricketer Lahiri, who joined Tripura as coach this season, had closely studied videos of individual Saurashtra players before drawing up specific plans for his bowlers.

“I watched videos of the players, studied each and every one of them from different angles, and planned accordingly. We showed the bowlers what they needed to do and which areas to target. We even put a chit on the dressing-room wall with the plans. The players saw it and executed everything to perfection,” Lahiri told Sportstar from Agartala.

Sarkar was the standout performer. Lahiri was particularly impressed with the youngster’s control and classical off-spin.

“Sandip was terrific. He is a classical off-spinner and should play for the East Zone immediately,” he said.

The attack had clearly defined roles. Sarkar was encouraged to attack, Parvez Sultan was asked to contain the batters and build pressure, while Abhijit Sarkar was used in spells to provide breakthroughs.

India international Mandeep Singh, whose experience has been valuable in guiding the younger players, also helped Sarkar fine-tune his bowling.

“When we played on rank turners, I advised him to bowl slower and use the cross-seam delivery occasionally. He grasped that quickly and implemented it. He was very impressive and is a quick learner,” Mandeep told this publication.

For Sarkar, the victory was as much about the team’s recovery as his own performance. Tripura had struggled to find its feet early in the season, but the improvement in its collective effort was beginning to show.

“Cricket is a team game, and I have always believed in playing as a unit. We did not have the best start, losing our first three matches, but we have made a strong comeback since then. I feel we have gained a lot of confidence,” he said.

“In the last three matches, our team bonding and understanding have improved. I have always tried to play for the team, and everyone has contributed. We are winning because of our collective effort. I feel good about the way things are going and am confident that we will continue to do well in the coming matches.”

There is a shared geography to the stories of Tripura’s two important contributors. Sarkar and Ridam Paul, who scored 86 and 50 to shore up the batting, both hail from Bamutia in Mohanpur sub-division.

Sarkar began playing at a coaching centre near his home. Cricket was a childhood passion rather than an immediate career ambition. With little family support, he continued playing with friends. Eventually, he went on to captaining Tripura’s Under-25 side for a couple of years and before earning his Ranji Trophy opportunity.

His inspiration has always been Ravichandran Ashwin. The two met during a match in Tamil Nadu last year, when Ashwin watched him bowl, appreciated his efforts and encouraged him to keep practising.

Paul’s contribution was equally important. Tripura’s batting had been a concern, with Mandeep struggling for runs.

Hanuma Vihari, another India international, featured in only one match before deciding to miss the remainder of the season. The BCCI has not granted Tripura a replacement.

“The wicket was difficult to bat on, but the plan was to stay at the crease. We knew things could be difficult early on, and as the conditions eased, I could take control. That is exactly what I tried to do,” Paul said.

He also acknowledged the impact of Vihari’s absence.

“Vihari bhai’s absence was felt. We played a couple of games on rank turners, but we did not lose hope. It is a positive for me as well, from a batting perspective,” he added.

Mandeep sees considerable promise in the youngster.

“Ridam is a huge talent. You will see him setting the stage on fire in the Syed Mushtaq Ali Trophy. He is a solid player,” he said.

He also credited Bikram Kumar Das for taking the shine off the ball in challenging conditions and praised Parvez and Abhijit for their contributions.

Captain Manisankar Murasingh, meanwhile, made effective use of his bowling resources, with his shorter spells keeping Saurashtra guessing.

“Mura is very proactive as captain. He used shorter spells, which left the opposition confused. He has led from the front and is the perfect man to lead this team,” Mandeep said.

Tripura still has work to do, particularly with the bat. But the win against Saurashtra has given the side the belief it badly needed.

Published on Nov 05, 2026

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