Focus on Rahane, Test hopefuls
IRANI CUP Ranji champions Vidarbha will seek a second double in a row while batsmen will eye berths for Windies tour
NAGPUR: Although Rest of India traditionally are at a disadvantage going into the Irani Cup as they are a diverse bunch and have to quickly combine against the Ranji Trophy champions high on confidence, recent history shows they have dominated.
Since 2003-4, Rest have won 12 times compared to only four wins for the reigning national champions, which points to the depth in talent and the seriousness with which the tie is taken by domestic players pushing for spots in India squads.
OPPORTUNITY
The latest Irani Cup tie starting in Nagpur on Tuesday provides Vidarbha the opportunity to complete a first-class double for the second year in a row. Though the Ranji victory against Saurashtra after a battle of spinners is barely a week old, Vidarbha coach Chandrakant Pandit and seasoned skipper Fayaz Fazal are unlikely to let the team ease off.
The Rest line-up is sure to provide a big challenge for the home side. Mayank Agarwal and Hanuma Vihari, high on confidence after playing their part in the historic Test series win in Australia as well as Shreyas Iyer and wicketkeeper Ishan Kishan carry lot of batting depth while Saurashtra left-arm spinner Dharmendrasingh Jadeja returns to the venue where his seven-wicket haul could not stop Vidarbha’s 78-run Ranji final triumph.
His Vidarbha counterpart, Aditya Sarwate, who took 11 wickets in the Ranji win, will again be key for the hosts.
However, plenty of focus will be on Ajinkya Rahane, the Rest of India skipper. Regarded as the man binding the Indian middleorder not long ago, the seasoned Mumbai batsman has slipped in the last two seasons. In Australia, the man seen as one of the first names on the team list playing overseas, seemed a touch dogged by anxiety as he tried to hit out of trouble.
Scores of 13, 70, 51, 30, 34, 1 and 18 in the Australia Test series did little justice to his class, which contributed to a subdued 2018 where he scored 684 runs in 21 Tests at an average of 32.57.
QUALITY ATTACK
While India do not play their next Test series until July-august, in the West Indies, it will be important the Test vice-captain uses the Irani Cup, with Umesh Yadav spearheading the rival pace attack, to regain his batting confidence.
Although Rahane seems out of the equation in one-day cricket – he last featured in the six-game series in South Africa in early 2018 with a top-score of 79 – his confidence and a big score can influence the selectors to keep him in mind while short-listing the sides for the coming ODI series against Australia at home and the World Cup.
India’s middle-order batting slots are not settled, and Rahane showing he has sorted out bat- ting issues won’t hurt anyone.
KL Rahul is on the same boat, but will test himself leading India A in the four-day tie against England Lions, starting in Mysore on Wednesday.