Sandeep Patil, Mumbai's chief selector, took responsibility for the side's four-wicket loss to Jammu & Kashmir in their first Ranji Trophy game of the season and stressed that the 40-time Ranji champions needed to "stay positive" going into the long tournament.
The first-ever match between Mumbai, the most successful Ranji team, and J&K, last season's quarter-finalists who had been promoted to Group A this season, was widely billed as a David vs Goliath battle. J&K, however, restricted Mumbai to scores of 236 and 254, took a first-innings lead despite a collapse, and then chased down 237 to win the game on the final day.
"Rather than pointing a finger at the Mumbai players, coach, I will ask myself, where have I gone wrong. I am equally responsible," Patil told ESPNcricinfo. "There is no point to press [the] panic button, let's learn from the mistakes Mumbai has made. The season has just begun, let's move forward, stay positive, think positive and play positive."
Patil also stressed on the need for all stakeholders of Mumbai cricket to remain united: "J&K beat Mumbai in all three departments, accept it. Divided you fall, united you stand up and fight the next battle."
Patil, who is also the chief national selector, was delighted with the improvement in the performance of the "so-called weaker teams". "I am wearing two hats, I am happy for J&K as a national selector. This great game is played all over India and I am happy that [the] so-called weaker teams are playing great cricket. It is not restricted to few teams, which is a positive sign," he said.
While Patil found a bright spot in the match, the Mumbai dressing room struggled to keep their chins up. Despite their record in the tournament, Mumbai entered the season opener with one of their weakest squads.
The selectors appointed young allrounder Suryakumar Yadav as captain of the side and three batsmen made their first-class debuts for Mumbai in the match. There were also selection issues before the first game. The selectors included Kaustubh Pawar in the squad without knowing that the opening batsman had been nursing a shoulder injury for a long time. Similarly, on the eve of the game, it was found that offspinner Akshay Girap, who was included in the squad, had not acquired the no-objection certificate from Railways, his previous team. Experienced middle-order batsman Hiken Shah had been inexplicably excluded despite his reasonable performances over the last couple of seasons.
"These are new players and will make mistakes. But what is important is that they know the importance of playing for Mumbai." Pravin Amre, Mumbai coach
To add to Mumbai's problems, their senior-most player, Wasim Jaffer will be unavailable for at least the next two games after he suffered an injury to his right index finger during the match.
Sunil Joshi, the former India left-arm spinner and current J&K coach, had been involved in numerous high-intensity matches against Mumbai while playing for Karnataka and he was surprised with the composition of Mumbai's team.
"First time in the last 20 years, I am seeing a Mumbai side this weak," Joshi said. "Historically, their batsmen have never given any chances - they are so strong in their defence. But here, in both innings, we saw that batsmen were not able to accept the challenge. Mumbai has produced so many legends in the past but this team looked vulnerable against fast bowling."
Pravin Amre, Mumbai's coach, did his best to remain positive after the loss. "When I first became the coach of the Mumbai team in 2006 we had a few experienced players in the side but this team needs time," he said. "These are new players and will make mistakes. But what is important is that they know the importance of playing for Mumbai. There are high expectations from a Mumbai player and he should know how to approach not only cricket but also other things in general."
After Mumbai's mediocre outing last season, Amre was brought back for his second stint. However, his role has been limited in terms of selection with the Mumbai Cricket Association deciding that he will not have a say in the final XI. That responsibility, instead, has been handed to the selectors, who consult with the captain.
Asked if he preferred more say in selection matters, Amre did not give a direct answer. "Mumbai cricket is in such a position that everyone - players, coaches, selectors and management - have to be on the same page. There was a time when getting a Mumbai cap was very tough but times have changed now. Everyone needs to deliver and not give excuses," he said.
Amre also turned to his former India team-mate Sachin Tendulkar to offer a pep-talk to the Mumbai team. Amre had approached Tendulkar on the third evening and Tendulkar agreed, irrespective of the outcome of the match. The master batsman spent a good hour talking to the youngsters after the demoralising loss.
"He is a role model for everyone. It is always nice if someone like him comes and shares his thoughts. When he says something, it touches players' heart. We all know this is a different team, it's a challenge," Amre said.