Alleppey Ripples pacers Fanoos F and Anand Joseph have been making the ball talk in the early part of the inaugural Kerala Cricket League (KCL). The two right-arm pacers have played a big role in Ripples winning both their encounters so far.
The best way to take control of a T20 match is by picking up early wickets and both Fanoos and Anand have done just that. The two combined to send back Thrissur Titans opener Abhishek Pratap off the very first ball of the KCL, with the left-hander being caught on the boundary by Anand.
Anand returned figures of 3/32, while Fanoos picked up 2/26 as Titans were restricted to 161/8. A dazzling 92 by skipper Mohammed Azharuddeen ensured a five-wicket win for Ripples.
The two had an even bigger impact on the outcome of the Ripples-Trivandrum Royals match on Tuesday night. Fanoos struck twice in the opening over while defending a total of 145. He cleaned up Vishnu Raj and veteran Rohan Prem for ducks, while Anand claimed the next three as Royals slumped to 19/5 in the sixth over. The two scalped four each as Ripples bundled out Royals for 112 to seal a 33-run win.
Both Fanoos and Anand have been part of the Kerala team from age-group level. "We know each other from our under-19 days and have a good rapport. We complement each other. We analyse the match situation and bowl accordingly. If one goes for runs, the other tries to make sure not many are scored off from his end," Anand told Onmanorama.
The 28-year-old Anand hails from Mundiyeruma near Kattappana in Idukki district. Anand is predominantly a swing bowler. "Swing bowling has been my strength. The ball does move around a bit under lights at the Greenfield (International Stadium)," said Anand about his miserly figures of 4/7 against Royals.
Anand was plagued by an ankle injury in the last season. "In fact I made my return in the NSK Trophy (State T20 Championship in May). The rhythm has been good in the KCL. I am taking it one game at a time," added Anand who was part of the Kerala Ranji Trophy squad in 2021.
Fanoos, who made his Ranji Trophy debut in 2022 and has played three first-class matches, says he concentrates on the process and is not worried about the results. "So far, so good. We have a really good team and we have been off to a great start. The vibe is good. As for the partnership with Anand, we go a long way back."
The 26-year-old from Sreekariyam in Thiruvananthapuram is quite lively, touching the 135-kmph mark. "I have been a big fan of Zaheer Khan and Brett Lee. In T20 cricket the idea is to contain the batter and build pressure. Then there are games like the one last night where you know you have to do both the containment and wicket-taking job. The wicket was a tad slow and it was not easy for the chasing team," said Fanoos about his efforts of 4/16 which won him the player-of-the-match award.
Fanoos is keen to win the Cup for Ripples. "It's true that I have been among the wickets. But the important thing is to win the tournament."
The fine form of Fanoos and Anand augurs well for Ripples in their quest to emerge champions.
