Tanush Kotian took 11/151 against Haryana to secure his maiden 10-wicket match haul for Mumbai. The spinner bowled 65 overs, serving a timely reminder to selectors for the upcoming Border-Gavaskar Trophy. "I was waiting for this opportunity," Kotian said. He used variations learned from Nathan Lyon to claim his wickets.
Kotian plied on for 65 overs in the third-round fixture against Haryana and ended with career-best figures of 11/151.
Tanush Kotian is stuck in a typical Indian cricket all-rounders' quagmire: whether he is a batting all-rounder or a spin bowling-all-rounder. While the spinner insists he weighs both the departments equally, the national selectors have often treated him in the latter category.
Kotian - with his career-best figures in an innings and in a match during Mumbai's convincing win against Haryana - served the national selectors yet another reminder to be considered for the Border-Gavaskar Trophy (BGT) squad early next year.
"I don't know about BGT, that's up to the selectors," Kotian said, adding he was not ruffled over Saransh Jain having been preferred as the India off-spinner for the tour to Sri Lanka.
Never had Kotian bowled more than 65 overs in a match. To bowl in good areas consistently was as much a relief for him as his maiden ten-wicket match haul. "I was waiting for this opportunity. I was trying to bowl as much as I could. This is the first time I have bowled this much in a match. I am giving the captain confidence that I can bowl this much and can get that many wickets as well."
Even before the season began, Kotian had stressed on having worked from exploring different angles and different variations while bowling. He showcased it in plenty, bowling around the wicket consistently. Three of his eight wickets - Parth Vats, Aman Kumar and Ajith Chahal - came while bowling around the wicket.
Kotian elaborated on the bowling tips he received from Nathan Lyon during his brief stint with India's Test squad in Australia in 2024-25. "(In Australia), you get extra bounce, so how can I bowl more over-spin balls, Lyon guided me. Also with the run-up and how to use the over-spin. Whatever I learnt there, I am working on that and working with seam positions and variations, so that is helping."