Mumbai: Once touted as a potential successor to Ravichandran Ashwin, Mumbai off-spinning all-rounder Tanush Kotian has remained on the fringes of the Indian Test team. However, the 28-year-old made a strong statement on Thursday, claiming a match haul of 11 wickets, including a career-best 8/81, to power Mumbai to a 10-wicket victory over Haryana in the Ranji Trophy at the MCA's Bandra Kurla Complex ground.
Kotian, who was picked as Ashwin's replacement for the fourth and fifth Tests in Australia two years ago, is yet to make his international debut.
His latest performance, coming in his 50th first-class match, was particularly satisfying as he had to toil on a slow, cracked surface that offered assistance but demanded patience and accuracy.
“It's a relief. I was waiting for this opportunity; I was trying to bowl as much as I could. I think this is the first time I've bowled this much in a match, around 40-50 overs. I'm giving the captain confidence that I can bowl this much and can get that many wickets as well,” Kotian said after the match.
Kotian Focused On Mumbai Performances
Despite being overlooked for national selection in favour of Madhya Pradesh off-spinner Saransh Jain, Kotian insisted that he was focused on delivering consistent performances for Mumbai.
Jain, who made his Test debut during India's two-match series in Sri Lanka earlier this year, claimed 13/89 in Madhya Pradesh's comprehensive victory over Bihar. Kotian had accompanied the Indian team to Sri Lanka as a net bowler.
“No, it's not in my mind. Even though they selected Saransh Jain, he's doing well. I'm doing well too. But my aim is to perform as well as I can for the Mumbai team, whether it's the Irani Cup or Duleep Trophy, wherever I go. In every match, I want to perform like that,” he said.
Learning From Leading International Spinners
Kotian credited his improvement to the experience gained while working with some of the game's leading spinners, including Australia's Nathan Lyon and India's Ravindra Jadeja, besides bowling coach Morne Morkel.
“I have worked with Morne Morkel. I also talked to Nathan Lyon, who guided me. I was also with (Ravindra) Jadeja,” he said.
The Australian tour, in particular, helped Kotian understand how to adapt his bowling to different conditions, especially the extra bounce offered by Australian pitches.
“Over there, Nathan Lyon guided me with the run-up and how to use the over-spin. Whatever I learnt there, I'm working on that and working with seam positions and variations, so that is helping,” he explained.
Adapting To Different Balls And Conditions
Kotian said bowling with different types of cricket balls had also helped him develop his skills. While he enjoys bowling with the SG ball, he acknowledged the challenges posed by the Kookaburra, particularly once its seam becomes less prominent.
“It is always fun bowling with the SG balls but also with the Kookaburra, whose seam goes inside after 30 overs, making it difficult for the spinners,” he said.
He recalled his experience of bowling with the Kookaburra during West Zone's victorious Duleep Trophy campaign under Ajinkya Rahane in 2022-23. Training sessions at the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru under Sunil Joshi have further helped him adapt to different balls and conditions.
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Four Years Of Bowling Improvement
Reflecting on his development, Kotian said the past four years had been crucial in refining his bowling, with guidance from Joshi, Jatin Paranjape and childhood coach Rajesh Sanil playing an important role.
“I have had four years of progress and improvement in my bowling. I did a lot of tours, I was also with the India team. They all guided me a lot,” he said.
The Mumbai all-rounder believes greater control over his line and length, coupled with new variations, has made him a more effective bowler.
“I have improved a lot in line and length. I have brought in two-three variations which are helping me in deceiving and beating the batsman. I am trying to do that in every match and working on my accuracy as well,” Kotian said.
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