With Mumbai the sole surviving super power in the Ranji Trophy quarterfinals, this season should right the wrongs against sides seen as second best.
Two of them, Saurashtra and Vidarbha, seek to take their campaigns to the next level when they meet for their last-eight encounter at the Andhra Cricket Association North Zone Academy ground here from Wednesday.
“The minnows making such headway is a healthy sign for first-class cricket and proves that smaller units are definitely developing,” said S. Badrinath.
The Vidarbha skipper had enough reason to be elated. “We’ve qualified in all three formats. As a leader, it has been more gratifying to see that I’ve helped two or three others bring out their best, than merely scoring runs myself.”
The swashbuckler was referring to his off-spinner Akshay Wakhare, the highest wicket-taker in the nation’s premier domestic tournament and opener Faiz Fazal, who had recorded a splendid century in the Deodhar Trophy final for India ‘A’ against ‘B’.
“The pitch, with even grass cover, should slant towards the seamers for the first three days,” was Badrinath’s forecast for the five-day battle ahead. “I won’t say that for sure though, since I have not played here before,” the seasoned hand qualified.
Curator K. Naga Mallaiah affirmed it was a result-oriented wicket.
Saurashtra coach Sitanshu Kotak saw a good five-day surface in the strip. “The top layer should get harder which may not produce much turn,” he believed. “Vidarbha is a good all-round side and any team getting this far cannot be taken lightly. We have two outright wins on green wickets but our endeavour has been to build a side that has resources for any kind of surface,” he stressed.
In the final count, it will be Vidarbha’s rousing current form against a solid, steely Saurashtra.
The teams (from):
Saurashtra: Jaydev Shah (capt.), Cheteshwar Pujara, Sheldon Jackson, Arpit Vasavada, Sagar Jogiani (wk), Dharmendra Jadeja, Chirag Jani, Jaydev Unadkat, Kamlesh Makwana, Vandit Jivrajani, Avi Barot, Mohsin Dodiya, Dipak Punia, Shaurya Sanandiya and Hardik Rathod.
Vidarbha: S. Badrinath (capt.), Wasim Jaffer, Umesh Yadav, Faiz Fazal, Satish Ganesh, Aditya Sarwate, Ravi Jangid, Shreekant Wagh, Ravi Thakur, Akshay Wakhare, Aditya Shanware, Jitesh Sharma (wk), Swapnil Bandiwar, Akshay Wadkar and R. Sanjay.
