Payyade take on CCI in Police Shield final
Firm favourites Payyade Sports Club will encounter a strong challenge Cricket Club of India (CCI) as the two teams clash for supremacy in the final of the D.Y. Patil Group sponsored 73rd Police Invitation Shield Cricket Tournament 2020-2021, at the Mumbai Police Gymkhana ground, Marine Drive on Sunday.
Two-time former champions Payyade SC with consistent performance have so far have been the most successful team in the competition. They won all their three matches in Group-B and comfortably defeated Parsee Gymkhana in the semi-finals.
On the other hand, seventime title holders CCI, recovered strongly from a shaky start as they suffered a defeat in the second Group-B match against Mumbai Police CC, but they bounced back in style by defeating Parkophene Cricketers by a narrow two runs margin in the concluding Group-B encounter to sneak into the semi-finals. In the penultimate round CCI easily defeated Karnatak SA by 77 runs to charge into the final and a shot at winning their eighth crown.
Payyade, who were champions in 2011 and 2012, will have to maintain their winning form if they hope to clinch their third title.
They will once again bank on their batting strength to come out trumps. Opener Hersh Tank who smashed 116 runs in the last match will again have to lead from the front to provide Payyade with the perfect start. Raunaq Sharma, Siddhesh Lad, Prayag Bhati, Rohan Raje and Musheer Khan are the other batsmen who have been in form and they will have to play good supporting roles. Allrounders Rohan Raj and Dhrumil Matkar along with left-arm spinners Badre Alam Khan and Dhrumil Matkar will shoulder the bowling department.
Former Indian cricket captain Dilip Vengsarkar is the chief guest and Mumbai’s police chief, will preside over the prize distribution function.
Former England pacer Darren Gough has compared the mentality of the current Indian side to the Australian outfit of the 1990s, saying Virat Kohli's men know how to "get a team by the throat and win, win, win".
India notched up an incredible come-from-behind 2-1 Test series win in Australia last month.
Down 0-1 after losing the opener, India again fought back strongly and grabbed an unassailable 2-1 lead in the ongoing four-Test rubber against England.
"The mentality of this India now is like Australia in the 90s: get a team by the throat and win, win, win,"
Gough told the PA news agency.
On Thursday, India inflicted a 10-wicket defeat on England inside two days at Ahmedabad after dismissing the tourists for 112 and 81 in the two innings of the PinkBall third Test. It was after England lost the second Test in Chennai by 317 runs.
Gough, who had captured seven wickets to help England beat West Indies in two days at Headingley in 2000, said the recent twin defeats in India will leave England mentally "fragile".
"This England team have been battered in back-to-back games now and it's going to be very difficult to come back from that. You can imagine the mentality of some of the lads will be quite fragile," Gough said.
The 50-year-old believes limited overs cricket was given preference over Tests by the authorities in England, who decided to rest and rotate players throughout the series.
"If I was Joe Root, I'd be livid. I feel for him because I believe one-day cricket has taken a high preference this time, just as he was getting something together with this team. Eoin Morgan has got his preferences over the Test side," he said.