After two below-par performances against Gujarat and Goa, Karnataka will look for a statement win against Tripura in the Ranji Trophy Group-C encounter at the Maharaja Bir Bikram College Stadium here starting Friday.
Following a rousing win against Punjab, Karnataka has collected just three points from two matches. In a tricky group with more than two quarterfinal contenders, it can ill-afford another underwhelming effort.
The eight-time champion will have to do with a diminished batting line-up, vice-captain Nikin Jose’s return to form notwithstanding. Devdutt Padikkal, who has scored 369 runs this season with two centuries, is away on India-A duty, while Manish Pandey will miss the tie because of a palm injury.
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Opener R. Samarth has recovered from a bout of viral fever, but with there being concerns about D. Nischal’s fitness — palm injury — the team management may hand a debut to 22-year-old right-hand batter K.V. Aneesh.
It remains to be seen if 17-year-old all-rounder Hardik Raj, brought into the squad as a like-for-like replacement for the left-handed Shubhang Hegde, is given his first cap as well.
If there is one area where Karnataka is fully stocked, it’s in fast bowling. Vidwath Kaverappa rejoining the squad means it has a full battery of pacers, but with teams this edition playing a match every four days, rotation may well be on the cards.
But it all depends on the weather. When Tamil Nadu played here earlier this month, just 51 overs of play was possible because of heavy fog. Wriddhiman Saha’s Tripura, which started with a thumping win over Goa, then travelled to Mohali, only to be thwarted again, with just 45.5 overs bowled.
A team that secured the first-innings lead over Gujarat, Punjab and Madhya Pradesh last season, and beat the likes of Saurashtra and Mumbai in the Vijay Hazare Trophy this campaign surely deserves its moment under the sun.
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