Central eyeing runner-up slot; South looking to salvage pride

By K.C. Vijaya Kumar

PANAJI, JAN. 31. On a chilly December day at Mohali four years ago, Central Zone clinched the Duleep Trophy at South's expense. Shifting to the present, the vagaries of form has struck. North savours the cake while Central and South Zones face-off for the crumbs in the Duleep Trophy league match at the Panjim Gymkhana ground here from Thursday.

North may have retained the trophy but with the series against the Aussies looming large, Goa's first Duleep Trophy match does hold the promise of individual sweepstakes while Central skipper Amay Khurasiya eyes the runner-up tag. ``If we win this match, we have a chance of being runner-up,'' he said. Central has 11 points and a win here would help it leapfrog to 19 but the match at Mumbai between West (nine points) and East (13 points) will have a bearing on Khurasiya's dreams.

South, after a collapse against Debasis Mohanty's `perfect ten' at Agartala, cannot even dream about the bridesmaid's role. A tally of eight from three outings is a wrong index for South's potential and `salvaging' pride is the lone option. Skipper Rahul Dravid admitted, ``The match may not be of any consequence but we got to win.''

Central has been shackled with bowling woes, while its batting has thrived on Khurasiya, Mohammad Kaif, Amit Pagnis, Jai Prakash Yadav and Yere Goud's willows. The bowling department, manned by seamers Salabh Srivastava, Jai Prakash Yadav and spinners Narendra Hirwani, Murali Kartik and K. Parida, has been lukewarm. South's talented batting line-up could be the latest stumbling block.

Khurasiya is not overwhelmed. ``South is an experienced team but one brilliant individual performance - Mohanty's ten- wicket haul - humbled them. That gives us hope,'' he said.

The South attack hinges on the trusted Srinath-Venkatesh Prasad duo with Joshi, Raju and Balaji Rao expected to peddle their guiles. Anil Kumble's absence and the selectors quest for tweakers, who can stop Australia's 15-Test winning streak, will be an added incentive for left-armers Raju, Joshi and leg-spinner Balaji Rao. The same holds true for Central's Murali Kartik.

They all figure in the probables list for the battle against Steve Waugh's men and a good haul here will bring them closer to the National cap.

On the batting front, a lot will depend on Laxman and skipper Dravid despite Vijay Bharadwaj, Hemang Badani, Thilak Naidu shoring up the middle order. ``At Agartala, the wicket did a lot of things but no excuses, its the same pitch for both teams,'' said Dravid, commenting on South's debacle there.

The pitch with a green tinge has egged Khurasiya to toy with the option of three seamers while Dravid, saddled with three spinners who figure in the National probables list, has to kowtow to selectors whims.

``Nandakishore and Tinu Yohannan will sit out and the playing eleven will be decided from the remaining thirteen on the morrow. All three spinners might play,'' he said. And the ground by the Mandovi River will hopefully, as Khurasiya said, ``witness a close contest.''

The teams:

South Zone: Rahul Dravid (captain), A. Nandakishore, S. Sriram, V.V.S. Laxman, Vijay Bharadwaj, Thilak Naidu (wicket-keeper), Hemang Badani, Sunil Joshi, Aashish Kapoor, Javagal Srinath, B.K. Venkatesh Prasad, W.D. Balaji Rao, S.L. Venkatapathy Raju, Tinu Yohannan and Shahbuddin.

Central Zone: Amay Khurasiya (captain), Mohammad Kaif (vice- captain), Gagan Khoda, Amit Pagnis, Jai Prakash Yadav, Devendra Bundela, Raja Ali, Yere Goud, Abhay Sharma (wicket-keeper), Narendra Hirwani, Murali Karthik, Rahul Kanwat, Kulamani Parida, A.W. Zaidi, Salabh Srivastava and Rohit Jhalani.

Umpires: Messrs Jasbir Singh and Anil Patel.

Match referee: Mr. Anil Patel.

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