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While one would first be intrigued by his unique name, Eden Apple Tom ensured that the audience would also discuss his bowling at the end of Day 2 of the summit showdown.
Who Is Eden Apple Tom, Kerala Medium-Pacer Who Stunned Vidarbha In Ranji Final (Picture credit: PTI)
Kerala medium-pacer Eden Apple Tom on Thursday picked three wickets while bowling an economic spell against title-favourites Vidarbha in the Ranji Trophy final in their backyard.
While one would first be intrigued by his unique name, Eden ensured that the audience would also discuss his bowling at the end of Day 2 of the summit showdown.
Kerala, who had ended Day 1’s play with the crucial wicket of Karun Nair, remained persistent throughout the first session on Day 2 as their pacers MD Nidheesh, Eden and NM Basil produced a brilliant show.
“My name is Eden. And Apple is my father’s name,” the youngster was quoted as saying by The Indian Express.
Born in July 2005 in the city of Pathanamthitta in south Kerala, Eden soon relocated to Dubai for his father’s job at the airport.
Former Kerala all-rounder Sony Cheruvathoor, who was running an academy in Dubai where Eden began training, suggested that they move back to India so that the youngster could pursue cricket better.
“I remember a young boy at the academy (in Dubai). He might have been 8 or 9. He was quick for his age and had a great willingness to learn. I saw some genuine talent in him, and when I returned to Thiruvananthapuram, I asked him to relocate,” Cheruvathoor told The Indian Express.
The report suggests that during his initial days, Eden was bowling off the wrong foot, which strained his lower back and knees.
In the next six years, Cheruvathoor and coaches at the Love All Sports Academy in Thiruvananthapuram made Eden into a bowler good enough to grab the attention of then-Kerala coach and former India pacer Tinu Yohannan.
Eden made his first-class debut against Meghalaya in the 2021-22 Ranji Trophy and played a match-winning role while picking six wickets.
“From a young age, he had a lovely in-swinger. But he wanted the out-swinger too and worked incredibly hard to develop it,” Cheruvathoor said.
However, a stress fracture on the lower back followed soon after, which slowed down Eden’s progress. Fortunately, he not just recovered from what could have been a career-ending injury but has returned without losing much of his pace.
On Thursday, perhaps the biggest breakthroughs came for Kerala when Eden had Vidarbha’s red-hot form batter Yash Rathod caught in the slips for just three runs.
Without much pace on the ball, Eden got the delivery to straighten up enough to catch the shoulder of the bat, which landed in the hands of Rohan Kunnummal at the first slip.
Vidarbha captain Akshay Wadkar’s (23) resistance didn’t last long when his charge against Eden’s ball outside off took an edge, and wicketkeeper Mohammed Azharuddeen did the rest.
