Young hopefuls come under the microscope

By Vijay Lokapally

NAGPUR, OCT. 12. There was a time when getting into the Rest of India side for the Irani Trophy was next to representing the national team. Those days, the players, unlike the modern icons, could not choose the contests because opportunities were rare and a decent performance in the Irani Cup was considered the first step towards wearing the India cap.

The Irani Trophy used to be a make-or-break platform for the aspirants, and two names that come to mind readily are of stylish batsmen Hari Gidwani and K.P. Bhaskar. Prolific scorers, they lost the race because both failed in this premier contest which heralded the new season - bitter memories for both as far as Irani Trophy was concerned. Bhaskar scored a century in the second innings but the Indian team for the 1985 Australian tour had been picked by then.

In contrast, Dilip Vengsarkar remembers every shot he played in the Irani Trophy of 1975 at the Vidarbha Cricket Association stadium here. That blistering innings, seven 6s and eleven 4s, launched his career and it was a knock which still evokes fond memories among cricket lovers here, some of the shots had landed outside the stadium.

As Baroda and Rest of India line up their players for the five- day contest starting here on Saturday, the youngsters would be aware of the significance of the next five days. All the good work of the previous season may come to nothing if they fail here. And that is what engages the attention of the National selectors who want to separate the mentally tough cricketers from the average ones. The Irani Trophy provides that stage. There is reason to believe that this match could highlight the potential of a couple of players with the focus being on the young Haryana wicketkeeper Ajay Ratra, who happens to be the prime candidate to be picked for the Test series against South Africa. The other spot worth a debate could involve an opener for the home series against England this winter, if not for the immediate assignment in South Africa.

If Ratra was beaten by Deep Dasgupta to a spot in the national side it was not because he lacked the potential. The selectors were said to have been influenced by the recommendation of former Aussie great Rod Marsh, who observed the Bengal lad was a competent wicketkeeper. It would be too early and unfair to judge Dasgupta on the basis of just two matches but Ratra would have enough inspiration to push himself into the reckoning.

Two other wicketkeepers not on view here - Vijay Dahiya and Nayan Mongia - would be justified if they complain of being given a raw deal. No one is willing to give reasons for Mongia not being considered, even though he went out of the side on account of injury and not form. In Dahiya's case, the omission was intriguing indeed since he had kept fairly well in the home one- day series against Australia and received compliments from John Wright, Sourav Ganguly and Sachin Tendulkar for being a splendid teamman. All that is just memory for the Delhi wicketkeeper as he begins the new season from scratch.

For young Akash Chopra, the Irani Trophy will mean a lot. Having served Delhi consistently well for the last two seasons, this gifted batsman will vie with the equally talented Mumbai opener Vinayak Mane, the latter having convinced the selectors that he is indeed the cricketer worth giving a break in the near future. Baroda opener Satyajit Parab also should fancy his chances, having signed off the last season in great style with a century in the final.

For Yere Goud, the mainstay of the Railways batting and the highest run-getter of the last season, this match is a reward for outstanding commitment. This will be his first big match and, understandably, Goud would be watched closely by the selectors who are expected to be here in full strength.

The Rest of India team can draw motivation from skipper V.V.S. Laxman, playing his sixth consecutive Irani Trophy match. ``This match is a challenge for all those wanting to make it big,'' said Laxman, who slammed a glorious 167 against Mumbai in the last edition.

Baroda, the Ranji Trophy champion, will miss the services of Jacob Martin, who is likely to join the Railways this season and is currently touring with the Indian team. In the absence of Zaheer Khan, the team will be severely handicapped in the bowling department and that could prove decisive. When evaluating Rest of India's batting performance, the selectors will have to consider the quality of the Baroda attack.

The next five days, provided the pitch holds true and firm, could give some insight into the future combinations. There was talk of giving Tinu Yohannan, a promising seamer from Kerala, a deserving break as India looks for replacements for the ageing Javagal Srinath and Venkatesh Prasad.

The spinners, Sarandeep Singh and Rahul Sanghvi, will also use the opportunity to stake their claims again, for both lost their places in the Indian side for reasons not known to anyone. The Irani Trophy is all about announcing or re-staking claims, this edition being no exception to any from the past.

The teams (from):

Rest of India: V.V.S. Laxman (Capt), Akash Chopra, Vinayak Mane, Yere Goud, Hrishikesh Kanitkar, Rashmi Ranjan Parida, Dinesh Mongia, Sarandeep Singh, Rahul Sanghvi, Debasis Mohanty, Ajay Ratra, Salabh Srivastava, Surinder Singh Bagal and Tinu Yohannan.

Baroda: Connor Williams (Capt), Satyajit Parab, Nayan Mongia, Tushar Arothe, Himanshu Jadhav, Rakesh Solanki, Rishikesh Parab, Valmik Buch, Irfan Pathan (Jr), Hardik Parmar, Irfan Pathan (Sr), Umang Patel, Milap Mewada and Rakesh Patel.

Umpires: Messrs V.K. Ramaswamy and Suhas Phadkar; Match observer: Mr. Bhagwandas Sutar.

Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Section  : Sport
Previous : Smooth AICF AGM likely
Next     : Kenyan batsmen present a sorry sight