Hubballi, February 28 Karnataka captain Devdutt Padikkal praised Jammu and Kashmir pacer Auqib Nabi on Saturday for bowling "exceptionally well" throughout the Ranji Trophy season, while admitting that his team failed to step up in the final, which they lost here.
The 91st Ranji Trophy final saw a one-sided match, with Jammu and Kashmir winning their maiden trophy based on a dominant performance. They won by an innings, after the final ended in a draw on the fifth and final day.
Nabi was a key player in Jammu and Kashmir's historic campaign, taking 60 wickets overall, including 5/54 in the final, which helped his team gain a massive lead of 291 runs in the first innings.
"We always understood that the toss would be important, but at the end of the day, it's a final. The pressure of the final will always be there, regardless of what you do," Padikkal said after the match.
"It was up to us to really step up. Unfortunately, we weren't able to do that, and they played much better cricket than us," he added.
Speaking about Nabi's performance throughout the season, Padikkal said, "He bowled exceptionally well throughout the season. Our batsmen also scored a lot of runs, so we believed we could handle those spells as well."
"But in the end, he just got the better of us, and that's how it sometimes goes. When someone has such a great season, it's not easy to stop them. I'm really happy for him."
Padikkal added, "To have a season like this and take 60 odd wickets is incredible. He has put his heart and soul into the whole season, and I'm also happy for him."
Padikkal praised the Karnataka players for reaching the final, hoping that the defeat would inspire and motivate them in the future.
"I'm really proud of the boys for reaching a Ranji final. It's not easy. It takes a lot of sacrifice and effort. Of course, all the credit goes to Jammu and Kashmir. They played some really good cricket throughout the season, and they deserved it," he said.
"I'm really happy with the way the boys have played. There are a lot of young players coming through, and for them to reach a Ranji Trophy final so early in their careers is something incredible.
"I'm sure that this will motivate them and help them improve. I'm sure they will continue to improve next year as well," Padikkal added.
