Five matches into its Ranji Trophy campaign, Tamil Nadu finds itself uneasily situated.It lies seventh in Group ‘B’, with only two teams beneath it. To finish in the top three and make the cut for the quarterfinals, it needs both a swift turnaround and a minor miracle.The match against Baroda, which begins at the scenic Moti Bagh ground here on Saturday, is the first of Tamil Nadu’s three remaining league games. The side will have to maximise its returns from these contests.But it’s no longer in sole control of its fate; results elsewhere in the group have to go its way.“It’s still possible to bounce back,” said Tamil Nadu coach V.B. Chandrasekhar, who put his wards through three days of game-simulation training in Chennai before coming here. “But we have to play our best cricket without thinking where we’ll end up. This away game will be crucial — this will show what character this team has,” he added.
Big blow
The revelation of character moreover will have to happen without L. Balaji, its captain for the first five games and its most penetrative bowler. Given Tamil Nadu’s struggle for wickets thus far, Balaji’s absence, because of an injured toe, is a big blow.How Dinesh Karthik, the stand-in captain, handles an inexperienced bowling line-up will determine how successful his side is at staying alive. The bowlers will also need better support in the field than they have received this season.The return of M. Vijay will help the batting, but the key, Chandrasekhar said, was to have all three departments clicking together.
Runner-up last season, Tamil Nadu has laboured this time around. The washout in the first game and Karnataka’s heist in the second hurt it early in the season. Baroda won’t be an easy opponent to turn things around against.
Impressive show
Currently second in Group ‘B’, with 20 points (six matches) to Tamil Nadu’s 10 (five matches), Baroda has shown it’s capable of quality cricket even without the brothers Pathan. The side has done particularly well at Moti Bagh.“It has always been a sporting wicket where a team can force a result,” said Baroda captain Ambati Rayudu of the green-tinged strip.“There’s more than enough for the bowlers, for the seamers if they are willing to bend their back and then as the match goes on, the spinners come in. Those who have got runs here are top-of-the-line batsmen.”Tamil Nadu has such batsmen. Indeed if the side bats to potential, it might have success here. For, if local wisdom is to be believed, the conditions could elevate its bowlers. The teams (from):Baroda: Ambati Rayudu (capt.), Aditya Waghmode, Saurabh Wakaskar, Abhimanyu Chauhan, Pinal Shah (wk), Rakesh Solanki, Bhargav Bhatt, Utkarsh Patel, Murtuja Vahora, Gagandeep Singh, Ketul Patel, Anupam Gupta, Ketan Panchal, Firdaush Bhaja, and Sankalp Vohra. Tamil Nadu: Dinesh Karthik (capt. & wk), M. Vijay, K.B. Arun Karthick, S. Badrinath, R. Prasanna, B. Aparajith, Vijay Shankar, V. Yomahesh, Malolan Rangarajan, R. Aushik Srinivas, Sunil Sam, Abhinav Mukund, J. Kaushik, M. Mohammed, Kaushik Gandhi, R. Rohith, and Rahil Shah.
Play starts 9.30 a.m.
