Kiran Powar on way to his century on Friday

Calcutta: The circumstances may not always be to his liking, but you can never miss the wide grin on Shib Shankar Paul’s face.

It was omnipresent on Friday as he returned a five-wicket haul to complete 32 wickets in Ranji Trophy and 45 this season. In the process, he also emerged Bengal’s most successful bowler.

“This being the semi-finals, I was obviously motivated and wanted to come up with something special? I’m happy that I have put Bengal on a good platform,” a visibly contended Paul said.

“The wicket wasn’t good for pacers. But I have played on these sort of wickets for years and know what suits best in these conditions. Moreover, I have a fair idea of how the Eden wicket behaves at different time of the day,” he explained.

How did he prepare for the season? “I’ve improved my batting and fielding this season? I’ve got used to long spells. I kept myself ready for any eventuality, so that no one could turn around and say that I shirk responsibility. The hard work is paying off,” he said.

The mild temperature and nausea this morning also couldn’t dampen his spirits. “I decided to play because this was the match we were all waiting for. We were determined to make full use of the big opportunity.”

Coach Paras Mhambrey also praised his efforts. “I haven’t brought in much change in him? He is a quality bowler and is well aware of his task. I worked a bit on the psychological aspect. He deserves the full credit for his performance. He has worked hard on his fitness, bowled long hours at the nets and the results are showing,” the former India pacer remarked.