The Hindu : Salvaging pride is Elite-A's aim

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Apr 03, 2003

Sport

Sport - Cricket

Salvaging pride is Elite-A's aim

By Our Sports Reporter

BANGALORE April 2. Hope makes a welcome return to the Duleep Trophy as India prospects Avishkar Salvi, A.T. Rayudu, Gautam Gambhir and Akash Chopra are all set to showcase their talent at the Chinnaswamy Stadium.

The quartet fresh from their India `A' tour of the West Indies should lend sparkle to the Duleep Trophy match between Elite-A and Elite-B commencing here on Thursday. Akash and Gautam don Elite-A colours while Avishkar and Rayudu will represent Elite B.

Joining the bandwagon is Elite-A's S. Sriram. The Tamil Nadu southpaw has struck a rich vein of form and is keen to notch a big innings. "I have had a series of 30s in this ground and I want to break that jinx," Sriram said.

"Openers Akash and Gautam are in form and it helps to have them in our team," said Elite-A skipper Reetinder Singh Sodhi, while Elite-B captain M.S.K. Prasad believes that Rayudu will lend strength to the middle-order and seamer Salvi will continue to strike as he did in the Carribean with 31 wickets.

Elite-A, having conceded the first innings lead in all its three previous matches, is at the bottom half with nine points while Elite-B is better placed at ten points from two matches.

Salvaging pride remains the distinct aim of Elite-A. "We need to win this match. Elite-B is a strong side and we need to be at our best," said Sodhi.

The Elite-A captain returns to the squad after missing the earlier two matches due to injury. "I injured my finger in the match against Plate-A at Chennai but now I have fully recovered," Sodhi said.

The presence of Akash, Gautam, Sanjay Bangar, Sriram, Gagan Khoda and Venugopal Rao does lend enough batting muscle to help Sodhi nurture his dreams. The bowling arm banking on Irfan Pathan (Jr) and Sarandeep Singh however may turn limp on a flat deck that promises smiles to the batsmen.

Elite-B skipper Prasad hinted at the runs on the track and said, "the team that takes first strike will have an advantage. Our plan is to put enough runs on the board and put pressure on the rivals."

Prasad is hoping that the in-form Wasim Jaffer along with Rayudu chip in, while Salvi in tandem with his Mumbai team-mate Sairaj Bahutule crack the Elite-A citadel.

The teams:

Elite-A: Reetinder Singh Sodhi (captain), S. Sriram, Akash Chopra, Gautam Gambhir, Sanjay Bangar, D. Vinay Kumar, Deep Dasgupta, Gagan Khoda, Y. Venugopal Rao, Debang Gandhi, Sarandeep Singh, Rahul Kanwat, Irfan Pathan (Jr) and Ranadeb Bose. Mr. Bharath Reddy (manager).

Elite-B: M.S.K. Prasad (captain), Wasim Jaffer, Vinayak Mane, Amit Pagnis, Arjun Yadav, A.T. Rayudu, Gyanendra Pandey, Sourasish Lahiri, Sairaj Bahutule, Amit Uniyal, Harvinder Singh, Avishkar Salvi, Sangram Singh and Romesh Powar. Mr. Vivek Jaisimha (manager).

Umpires: Messrs M.R. Singh and Suresh Shastri. Match referee: Mr. B.K. Keshava Murthy.

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