Six Ranji Trophy pre-quarterfinals from today

CHENNAI, MARCH 9. Six pre-quarterfinal Ranji Trophy matches get underway at various venues spread across the country on March 10.

The seventh match between Orissa and Jammu & Kashmir will begin at Cuttack on Sunday. Jammu & Kashmir, well served by unsung left-arm paceman Surinder Singh Bagal, has made the knock- out stage from North Zone after 41 years of trying, beating back Haryana's challenge. Mumbai, the defending champion, has received a bye, and will take on the winner of the Punjab-Rajasthan last 16 duel. Mumbai topped the West Zone league.

Without question, Punjab has been the dominant side in the Ranji Trophy this season, winning all its five matches, four by an innings and the other by a massive 199 runs.

The host should certainly start with a distinct advantage against Rajasthan, the top-finisher in the Central Zone, in the four-day battle at Mohali.

South Zone winner Tamil Nadu (26 points), will cross swords with Delhi, which ended 11 points behind Punjab, in what should be an interesting battle at the IIT-Chemplast ground in Chennai.

Hyderabad, just one point behind Tamil Nadu with 25, meets Madhya Pradesh, that knocked out Uttar Pradesh as the third qualifier from the Central Zone, at Indore.

Karnataka, the third qualifier from South with 24 points - there was a close battle for the first three places in this Zone - takes on Assam, the surprise packet in East, at Guwahati.

Actually, Assam was a creditable runner-up in the Zone, tallying 19 points, behind Orissa. This time around, heavyweight Bengal's pride was dented, with the former champion clinching only the third place.

Maharashtra, that gave Mumbai a real run for its money in the West Zone, before falling short by a single point, takes on Railways, Central Zone runner-up, at Pune.

And Bengal gets a chance to make amends for shortcomings in the league phase, when it clashes with host Baroda, that won a creditable third place in the competitive West Zone.

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