Hosts UP lock horns with Jharkhand in a key battle
LUCKNOW :It will be a virtual prequarterfinal in the Ranji Trophy when hosts and former champions Uttar Pradesh and Jharkhand face off in the Elite Group C league match here from Friday.
With only two teams progressing to the eight-team quarter-finals from Group C, it’s a threeway contest between table-topper Rajasthan (28 pts), secondplaced Uttar Pradesh (24) and third-placed Jharkhand (21).
Both UP and Jharkhand have lost their respective matches to Rajasthan and the outcome of the four-day encounter between the two sides here will decide the second team for the knockout.
“It’s a virtual pre-quarterfinal and we are prepared to challenge the rivals,” UP skipper Akshdeep Nath said on Thursday. “We would like to exploit the home conditions as winning here will make a big difference for us this season.”
In his debut season as skipper, local boy Akshdeep has done well, scoring 475 runs, including two centuries and a half-century. “I am enjoying my cricket as well as the leadership. My wish is to win all the time and, this time, I would like to win the game for the side.”
Despite the struggles of former skipper Suresh Raina --whose best has been an unbeaten 66 in the last match against J&K --- Uttar Pradesh have had a consistent showing, winning three matches, including two with bonus points. They took the firstinnings lead against Services in the third match, before conceding a first-innings lead to Rajasthan in the next match.
Top order batsmen Rinku Singh (389), Priyam Garg (328), Mohd Saif (303) and young opener Madhav Kaushik (186) have been consistent, while the
bowlers, especially left-arm orthodox Saurabh Kumar (28 wkts) has underlined his potential.
Uttar Pradesh will be missing key seamers Ankit Rajpoot (26 wkts) and Shivam Mavi (15) as the two are on national duty with India A in Sri Lanka. In their absence, young Yash Dayal and gutsy Imtiayz Ahmed will have to come good against Ishan Kishan-led side on a bouncy wicket at the Atal Bihari Vajpayee stadium.
For Jharkhand, anything less than a win won’t count as even a three-point lead on the basis of first-innings lead won’t help them get past UP. The presence of Ishan, who missed the team’s three matches as he was busy with India A in New Zealand, is a boost to the side for the match here.
“Ishan is back and it’s a big plus for Jharkhand. Their bowlers have been doing well too, bagging 7-8 wickets everyday and that shows the real strength of the side. But we are capable of handling them,” said Akshdeep.