India, Feb. 22 -- At the start of the Ranji Trophy, few would have bet on Kerala making the final. They had gradually grown from being the pushovers of South Zone to becoming a fighting squad, but going all the way seemed a distant dream.

Like most weaker teams, their best bet was in limited-overs where upsets are more frequent because one good session or innings can change the game. Red-ball cricket is a hard grind. Flukes are rare for all aspects of your game are tested over four or five days. All-round cricket for a sustained period is a prerequisite.

Kerala, however, have beaten the odds to seal their first final in India's blue riband tournament. They will face Vidarbha in Nagpur from Wednesday.

"I also underestimated. I thought K...