Sport - Cricket

Karnataka takes on Mumbai

— Photo: PTI

GETTING READY: Mumbai coach Pravin Amre, skipper Amol Muzumdar and Karnataka’s Rahul Dravid on the eve of the Ranji Trophy match at the Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai on Friday.

MUMBAI: Mumbai’s campaign began on the wrong foot in 2006-07, Bengal gaining the initiative and first innings lead at the Eden Gardens in the season opener, then bounced back to take the title. The Ranji Trophy champion faces another test of character, confronted by Karnataka a season later at the Wankhede stadium.

Anil Kumble, competing in his 228th first-class game, is a threat to each batsman in the rival line-up, regardless of rank or reputation.

Rahul Dravid will look forward to his 229th first-class game as a fresh opportunity to grind the bowlers into dust.

The combined experience of these two stalwarts is enough to put any opponent on the defensive. Kumble and Dravid apart, Karnataka has assembled an explosive array of talent this season that Mumbai’s cricketing resources will be put to the test over next four days.

Yere Goud and C. Raghu (averaging 58 and 35.80 respectively in 2006-07) are the bulwarks in a formidable batting line-up, supported by opener Barrington Rowland and wicket-keeper-bat Thilak Naidu.

Others to assist Kumble are left-arm spinner Sunil Joshi and nippy medium-pacers Akhil, Aiyappa and Vinay Kumar.

The Karnataka skipper, relishing his role as leader, can be expected to keep the Mumbai batsmen under pressure session after session, playing the mind game at the crease.

Coach Vijay Bharadwaj, coming in place of Venkatesh Prasad (now Team India bowling coach) and Rajesh Kamat (joined the Indian Cricket League) placed special emphasis on fielding in the build-up.

Sachin Tendulkar’s absence from the Mumbai line-up, due to national duty, deprives the Ranji champions of a performer with the aura to intimidate Karnataka by sheer presence.

Coach Pravin Amre and Captain Amol Muzumdar continue to bank on a bunch believing in collective responsibility and tenacious enough to deliver when it matters. All-rounder Abhishek Nair rosein prominence last season and is already considered a vital link in the side, an effective medium-pacer and aggressive middle-order batsman.

Wicket-keeper Vinayak Samant is a hardy, handy batsman down the order. Opener Ajinkya Rahane and left-arm spinner Iqbal Abdullah are young, but bold enough to stand up against established names in the Karnataka line-up.

Mumbai is fielding almost the same team as last season, veteran left-arm spinner Nilesh Kulkarni being a notable exclusion.

Teams (from): Karnataka: Anil Kumble (captain), Rahul Dravid, Yere Goud, C. Raghu, Sunil Joshi, Barrington Rowland, N.C. Aiyappa, B. Akhil, K.P. Appanna, Srinivas Dhananjaya, Thilak Naidu (wicketkeeper), Devraj Patil, K. Pawan, Sudhindra Shinde, Vinay Kumar.

Mumbai: Amol Muzumdar (capt), Ajit Agarkar, Wasim Jaffer, Sahil Kukreja, Ajinkya Rahane, Prashant Naik, Abhishek Nair, Ramesh Powar, Vinayak Samant (wk), Avishkar Salvi, Rajesh Verma, Iqbal Abdulla.

Umpires: K. Hariharan and Anil Choudhary. Match referee: Raju Mukherjee.

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