Sandeep Patil gives a pep talk to Services Ranji team

New Delhi: The chairman of senior selection committee Sandeep Patil today gave a 10-minute pep talk to the Services Ranji Trophy squad after the end of the third day`s play against Bengal at the Airforce ground in Palam.

Patil, who has been a regular feature at the ground for the last three days was invited to the Services dressing room by team manager Wing Cdr Deepak Bhaskar. The Services boys were seen listening to Patil with rapt attention after which he left the venue. "Mr Patil had some words of wisdom for our boys. He told the boys that this is the first ever Ranji Trophy game of Services that he has ever watched. He told the boys that he is thankful to them for putting up a gritty fight against Bengal and his three days at the ground didn`t go waste. Patil was happy in the manner that boys batted and bowled against a quality side like Bengal. He said that to succeed at the first-class level, self belief is the key," Wg Cdr Bhaskar said after the end of the interaction. Wg Cdr Bhaskar also added that Patil has "praised the Airforce ground pitch" but Bengal coach Ashok Malhotra wasn`t happy with the pitch. "Have 20 matches on this track and you won`t have a single outright result. This is a road not a cricket pitch. You can have three-point matches but not the six point ones. I can tell you that Ranji Trophy matches these days are not played on these kind of tracks. Even at Eden Gardens, we kept grass and had a result-oriented track," Malhotra didn`t seem one bit amused.