In-form Karnataka ready for Punjab challenge

Bangalore: With just three matches to go in the league stage for most of the teams in the Ranji Trophy this season, each of them is looking for that extra push to seal a quarterfinal berth. Defeats and lame draws can prove fatal for teams especially in a closely contested group, like Group A.

Apart from clinching their spots the teams will be aiming to finish in the top so as to avoid potent teams in the knockout round. Currently a mere point separates table toppers Mumbai (20) from Karnataka, while Punjab and Gujarat have 17 points each.

In such a scenario, this weekend’s fixtures will be crucial. At the picturesque KSCA Stadium here, Karnataka will take on Punjab starting Saturday to further their case in the knockout round.

A turf with a hint of green which could aid both the batsmen and pacers apart from an expansive outfield awaits the two sides.

The home side comes into the match on the strength of back-to-back wins in their away games, a huge confidence booster after three draws on the trot.

Karnataka, which has made changes to their squad of 15 with the out-ofform Kunal Kapoor making way for Shreyas Gopal, will have to further tinker with the composition of the eleven, especially with the return of skipper R. Vinay Kumar.

The team management will have to take a tough call on deciding between HS Sharath and Ronit More both of whom have delivered alongside Abhimanyu Mithun in the pace department, especially in the last two contests which saw the state’s pacers come to life after a mediocre start to the season.

Set to go in with one specialist spinner, Abrar Kazi in all likelihood will keep his place ahead of KP Appanna.

On a track which has been witness to many individual brilliance, the batsmen will look to clear the cobwebs in their minds. In the previous match at this ground, which was the India A-West Indies A encounter a couple of months ago, Cheteshwar Pujara had slammed an unbeaten 306.

The focus will be on the 21-year-old KL Rahul, who has been striking the ball with aplomb and has a strike rate of a shade less than 62 from five matches.

Manish Pandey, Stuart Binny and CM Gautam have all been useful contributors with the bat, but what they will have to come up with here will be
big partnerships to support their individual performances.

With R. Samarth, Gopal and Karun Nair in the reckoning for a call-up to replace Kapoor, Nair is likely to get his maiden cap.

The Punjab team, on the other hand, are without the experienced Yuvraj Singh and Harbhajan Singh, but the youngsters led by the promising Mandeep Singh have often stood up for the count.

Among their bats, last match double centurion Jiwanjot Singh and Uday Kaul have had a tremendous run along with Mandeep, while the rest have failed to impress.

Their pace duo of young Sandeep Singh and the
experienced VRV Singh have been on the ball, giving the edge to their attack.

While the batsmen on either side will look to notch up a big one here, it may well turn out to be a test of pace strength.