In-form Karnataka holds the edge

Bangalore: Karnataka’s Ranji Trophy team is on a roll. The last five matches has seen R. Vinay Kumar’s team embark on an incredible run with the batsmen consistently churning out runs to give more teeth to the bowlers who have been at their menacing best.

A month and a half ago no-one would have wagered on the team doing this well, given the heavy investment in youth. The three draws at the beginning of the season didn’t quite inspire confidence, but over the last five games, the turnaround has been complete.

Having made it to the knockout stages on cruise mode, a stiff test awaits the team. In the past, Karnataka has choked in crunch matches and although there is a strong yearning and a quiet determination amongst the youngsters to lay their hands on the trophy, there could still be a slip. After all, there is still some distance to go.

First up in the line of obstacles between Karnataka and the silverware is Uttar Pradesh, whom they take on in the quarterfinals at the M. Chinnaswamy Stadium from Wednesday. UP’s performance has been far inferior to Karnataka’s, the visitors having managed only two wins in their group matches. It is a statistic that gives the home side a slight psychological advantage, but Vinay’s ‘boys-to-men’ can only bank on it at their own peril.

That said, the five-day quarterfinals, after the completion of the four-day league comes with its own challenges with the wicket going through plenty of wear and tear. The wicket looks like the usual Bengaluru green top, but is expected to play true for the batsmen as the match progresses.

In such a scenario Karnataka would ideally look to cash in on their pace strength especially with Abhimanyu Mithun and rookie H.S Sharath in prime form. Add to it the experienced Vinay’s consistency and the fragility of the Uttar Pradesh batsmen and the hosts surely hold the edge.

Batting has been the biggest chink in the visiting team’s campaign. Their batters have failed to click as a unit and have banked on the odd brilliance from the likes of Tanmay Shrivastava, Mukul Dagar and Prashant Gupta.

The poor run of the seasoned Mohammed Kaif and the absence of Suresh Raina, unavailable due to national duty, is another cause of concern for UP. The bowling attack for UP will be led by new-ball pair of Imtiaz Ahmed and skipper RP Singh with Piyush Chawla looming as main threat.

On that count, the Venkatesh Prasad-coached unit pales in front of the home team’s explosive batting line up.

K.L. Rahul and Manish Pandey are currently the boys with the Midas touch and the batting line-up has been further bolstered by the return of Robin Uthappa, who has been out of action for a while due to injury. With Stuart Binny getting his maiden call-up for the Indian team, the middle order looks a little fragile, especially given CM Gautam’s woeful form. It will be interesting to see if the think-tank will bring in Amit Verma, who is yet to play a match this season, at this crucial juncture.

While Shreyas Gopal looks set to keep his place, it will again be a toss up between KP Appanna and Abrar Kazi for the mainstay spinner’s spot, but Vinay’s team realise they stand on the threshold of something special and will be running high on adrenaline.

Mumbai banks on Zak the ripper

Mumbai banks on Zak the ripper

Moulin Parikh | DC

Mumbai: Going by Mumbai’s remarkable history in the Ranji Trophy, the defending champions start as overwhelming favourites in their quarter-final encounter against neighbours Maharashtra but the season has been different and the domestic powerhouse have not been able to stamp their authority.

Going through a transition phase with seniors retiring and regular players unavailable owing to national duty, Mumbai huffed and puffed their way to the knockouts. After winning three of their first four games outright, Mumbai zoomed ahead of others in Group A but lost steam midway resulting in three drawn affairs against Delhi, Jharkhand and Orrisa.

The lean patch created a further dent when they suffered their first defeat in 72 years to Karnataka needing them to win their final league game against Gujarat, who just needed a point to quality. It was then that Mumbai showed the much-needed character and registered a thrilling victory to qualify as the third team from their group. Zaheer Khan, who returns to lead the side after a gap of four games, admitted that Mumbai are happy to be in the knockout stage.

“The good thing is that we have qualified. We had to win that game, especially when you know Gujarat needed only one point to qualify and we managed to win that game. It is a big achievement on our team’s part. Now, it is the knockout stage, so every game counts,” Zaheer said.

Zaheer’s return along with all-rounder Abhishek Nayar has prompted the curators to prepare a wicket with greenish tinge. With the conditions likely to be conducive for swing bowling, Maharashtra’s in-form batting lineup is in for a big challenge.

Harshad Khadiwale and Kedar Jadhav have topped the batting charts playing a big role in their team’s campaign this season. Khadiwale has plundered 930 runs in eight matches at 77.50 while Jadhav is close second with 863 runs at an 86.30. With the knockout games being a five-day affair, the duo will need to show patience and their ability to bat long will be put through a test.

Captain and wicket keeper Rohit Motwane insisted that their bowling too is equally strong. “Our bowlers have done a very good job in last four games. We won three outright games at home which means they have worked very hard to pick 20 wickets on slow wickets.”

Zol ready for another challenge

Zol ready for another challenge

DC Correspondent

Mumbai: Former India selector and Maharashtra coach Surendra Bhave feels young Indian cricketers these days are not afraid of challenges. The reason he feels is the constant exposure they get from ‘A’ tours and by playing in the IPL.

His observation found merit when Vijay Zol, captain of the victorious U-19 Asia Cup team showed no signs of nervousness when asked about-facing Zaheer Khan in the Ranji Trophy quarter-final match at the Wankhede Stadium here on Wednesday.

The Maharashtra batsman said he was looking forward to the challenge. “I am really excited to play against Mumbai for the first time at the Ranji Trophy level. It is a great opportunity for me,” he said.

The Jalna-born player said that defending champions India are shaping well for next month’s U-19 World Cup to be played in the UAE. “We won the fourth tournament (Asia Cup) just before the World Cup. Everyone has chipped in and it has been a team performance.”