Nathan Lyon’s guidance helped improve my bowling, says Tanush Kotian

Mumbai all-rounder Tanush Kotian says lessons from Nathan Lyon, Ravindra Jadeja and other mentors have helped improve his bowling. After taking a career-best 8/81 against Haryana, he is focused on consistency and performing for Mumbai across competitions

Mumbai: Mumbai all-rounder Tanush Kotian said on Thursday that he has been putting into practice what he learnt from his experiences at higher levels of cricket, having worked with Australian great Nathan Lyon and Indian star Ravindra Jadeja.

Kotian, who was part of the Indian squad during the 2023-24 tour of Australia, recorded his career-best first-class figures of 8/81 in Mumbai’s 10-wicket thrashing of Haryana in the Ranji Trophy here on Thursday.

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“I have worked with Morne Morkel. I also spoke to Nathan Lyon, who guided me. I was also with (Ravindra) Jadeja,” Kotian told reporters when asked about his experiences on tours of Australia with the Indian team and as a net bowler earlier this year in Sri Lanka.

“Like in Australia, there is extra bounce, so how can I bowl more overspin deliveries? Nathan Lyon guided me on the run-up and how to use overspin,” he said.

“Whatever I learnt there, I am working on that and focusing on seam positions and variations, so that is helping,” Kotian added.

Kotian said one of the challenges for spinners was bowling with the Kookaburra ball, but Indian bowlers had been working on it at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru.

“It is always fun bowling with SG balls, but also with the Kookaburra, whose seam goes inside after 30 overs, making it difficult for spinners,” he said.

“When we won the Duleep Trophy with West Zone in 2022-23, with Ajinkya Rahane as captain, we played with the Kookaburra ball and I did well that year. Even at the Centre of Excellence, when we attend five- or six-day camps with Sunil Joshi sir, we practise with different balls, and that is fun to work on,” Kotian added.

Kotian said he had made conscious efforts to improve his bowling over the years.

“I have made progress and improved my bowling over the past four years. I went on several tours and was also with the India team,” he said.

“They all guided me a lot. I practised with (BCCI Centre of Excellence spin bowling coach) Sunil Joshi sir, Jatin (Paranjape) sir and Rajesh (Sanil) sir, my childhood coach and mentor. A lot of people have guided me, and I am trying to use that experience in my bowling.”

“I have improved a lot in line and length. I have brought in two or three variations that are helping me deceive and beat batters. I am trying to do that in every match and working on my accuracy as well,” he added.

Kotian said he was not thinking much about competition with other off-spin bowling all-rounders, particularly Madhya Pradesh’s Saransh Jain, who claimed 13 wickets in his team’s comprehensive win over Bihar.

Saransh made his Test debut earlier this year during India’s two-Test series in Sri Lanka, where Kotian was a net bowler with the team.

“No, it’s not on my mind. Saransh Jain was selected, and he is doing well. I am doing well too. My aim is to perform as well as I can for Mumbai, whether in the Irani Cup or the Duleep Trophy, wherever I play. I want to perform like that in every match,” he said.

“I don’t know about the Border-Gavaskar Trophy; that’s up to the selectors,” he added.

Kotian said taking eight wickets on a challenging surface at the BKC Ground was a relief. The slow pitch had cracks but still made the bowlers toil.

“It’s a relief. I was waiting for this opportunity and 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 take that many wickets as well,” the 28-year-old said.