In the days leading up to their match against Services in the 2016-17 Ranji Trophy, Tripura could barely hit the nets due to the rains in Guwahati. Much of their preparations centered around fielding drills, team-bonding sessions through football, and watching video clips to figure out the opposition.
As it turned out, Tripura's string of abject performances in the tournament ended in emphatic fashion as Services were routed by 219 runs after being bowled out for 163 in the final innings. It was Tripura's first win in the tournament since December 2012. That win had come against Himachal Pradesh and since then, they had gone without a victory for 29 matches, including their tournament-opener against Chhattisgarh.
Smit Patel was one of the driving forces of the win, setting it up with his unbeaten 127 in Tripura's second innings. Patel and Udiyan Bose (165) joined hands for a 292-run partnership - the highest ever for Tripura - that turned a slender first-innings lead of 42 runs to a hefty 382.
"It actually felt very good, to be on the winning side and contributing significantly to the win feels really good, and we see some positive things from here," Patel told ESPNcricinfo.
Patel made a difference in only his second match for Tripura, having turned professional after leaving the Gujarat side for better opportunities. "It took me a little while to adjust to the players and, of, course, the atmosphere in the dressing room," Patel said. "Gradually, I made it really comfortably, and the players are also comfortable over here. All the players are young, they are around 23 to 27, so we've gelled nicely.
"There are always various things which don't go your way all the time when you're home and when you're away, so it's a part and parcel of the game. I have taken this step to move out and play for more opportunities, so it's just the part and parcel that comes around."
Before Patel, Manisankar Murasingh, the Tripura captain, played an important part, taking three wickets to help prevent Services from grabbing a first-innings lead. Murasingh was also a part of the team that won in 2012-13, under Ajay Ratra, and had played a central role then too, taking five wickets in the match and pulling the side out of a spot with a half-century in their second innings.
"We lost our first match against Chhattisgarh, so this win is very important as far as the points table is concerned, because we play our next match against Himachal Pradesh, and we usually do well against Himachal," Murasingh said. "So, if we can do well for two-three matches, there is a chance of qualifying. We aren't exactly thinking of qualification right now, our first goal is to prepare for the next match. There are seven matches to go, so we shouldn't get too carried away by this win."
Murasingh said familiarity with the surface, which was similar to the tracks at home, helped. "It was a sporting pitch. If you showed enough application, you could score runs, not easily, but the fast bowlers had some assistance and the ball was coming on nicely to the bat because the bounce was even, unlike in Ranchi, where it kept low, it turned, and all sorts of things happened. The wickets in Agartala are similar to this one, so the guys got some help.
"It's very important because we won after four years in the Ranji Trophy, and this is the second match of the season. Yesterday, we got a call from TCA (Tripura Cricket Association) and they congratulated us, and announced a prize of Rs 10-11 lakhs for the team."
Sunday's win was only Tripura's eighth in 153 Ranji Trophy matches since their debut in 1985-86, and they have lost 99 of them. Murasingh put the win down to the kind of preparation that had gone into the season. "Nothing wrong as such, but our preparations, I wouldn't say they are less, but in Agartala, when it rains, practising or finding a good nets facility becomes very difficult.
"This year, we were outside for at least two-three months. We played KSCA in Bangalore, then we had a camp for about 25-30 days in Mysore, and spent about 10-15 days in Hyderabad for another camp before the season. So, our preparations were good, and the TCA is also supporting us well. In the last two-three years, I felt our preparations were a bit scarce. This time, we started conditioning and fitness about three or four months before and focused on that."
Did pitches have anything to do with the result? Murasingh didn't think so. "As far as surfaces go, we play on neutral venues. This year, six of our games are in the East Zone, where they are mostly similar, be it Kolkata, Bhubaneswar, Ranchi. So surfaces don't make much of a difference. If we travel to Delhi, Valsad, Mumbai, we could face problems because we haven't played more than one or two matches in these regions, but in the East Zone, I highly doubt we will have any hassles because all the players have experience."
Patel felt the BCCI's move to stage matches at neutral venues was a good one. "I think it's pretty good because both teams have to adjust to the wicket as well as atmosphere around the ground. So, it's pretty good, and, at the same time, pretty challenging to play on the wickets that are not familiar to you, to go out there and read the wicket and apply yourself."
After the win, the team got together for a celebratory dinner. "It's always good to enjoy the wins. It's equally important to enjoy the moments where we have done better," Patel said. "So, yesterday, we had a team dinner and everyone gathered and put some music on. Today, we are flying to Kalyani, and from tomorrow, we will start our preparations for the next game."