Ranji Trophy: Karnataka the hot favourite in third-round clash against Puducherry

Heavyweight Karnataka will target an outright win over Puducherry in the Ranji Trophy clash beginning on Thursday.

Ahead of the last round of matches in the league phase, Karnataka is well placed to qualify with nine points.

Manish Pandey captains a side whose various arms are functioning in cohesion. Karnataka will target an outright win over Puducherry.

You can take nothing for granted though in cricket and Puducherry, a blend of local talent and some handy outstation players, will want to make a statement even though its qualification hopes have evaporated. The Ranji Trophy game at the SSN ground - the pitch here can be seamer friendly - beginning on Thursday promises some interesting cricket.

Ahead of the last round of matches in the league phase, Karnataka is well placed to qualify with nine points; lead against Railways and a victory over Jammu & Kashmir.

Versatile

It’s a versatile side with depth and options. In batting, R. Samarth, Devdutt Padikkal, Karun Nair, K. V. Siddarth and Karun Nair have all been among the runs. Karun, in fact, came up with 175 and 71 not out against J & K. The senior batter is pulling his weight.

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Karnataka has firepower in bowling. The lanky Prasidh Krishna returned a 10-wicket match haul against J & K with some speedy, incisive bowling with lift. Vidyadhar Patil can move the ball around. However, the team will be without Ronit More, who has flown home with a back spasm. Vyshak Vijayakumar could take his place in the eleven.

And off-spinner K. Gowtham and leg-spinner Shreyas Gopal form an experienced spin combination that can sting.

Puducherry lost outright to J & K but did well to deny Railways an outright win. In Neyan Shyam Kangayan the side has an efficient opener. And Paras Dogra and Pawan Deshpande add muscle to the line-up. Skipper D. Rohit made useful runs against Railways.

Seamer Sagar Trivedi has picked up wickets this season. He should share the new ball with Subodh Bhatti. And left-arm spinner Sagar Udeshi has held one end up, containing and striking.

The captain winning the toss might do well to back his team to get through the first session - when the ball would move around - with minimum damage and then bat big and dictate the course of play. Karnataka holds all the aces.