Ranji Trophy 2023-24: Kerala batters aim consistent performance in must-win game against Bihar

The defeat to Mumbai at home was demoralising, and the realisation that weather may play spoilsport in the must-win game against Bihar left the Kerala team deeply worried.

Published : Jan 25, 2024 19:49 IST , Patna - 2 MINS READ

Sachin Baby of Kerala in action.
Sachin Baby of Kerala in action. | Photo Credit: RITU RAJ KONWAR
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Sachin Baby of Kerala in action. | Photo Credit: RITU RAJ KONWAR

A foggy sky greeted the Kerala team when it arrived at the Moin-Ul-Haq stadium for practice on Wednesday morning, and it did little to lift the sombre mood in the camp.

The defeat to Mumbai at home was demoralising, and the realisation that weather may play spoilsport in the must-win game against Bihar deeply worried the visiting team. However, the weather cleared for the better on Thursday afternoon, and the Kerala team had a full practice session. The bright sunshine cheered up Kerala players who were eyeing a win against the weakest team in group B.

READ | Batting stability in focus as Pondicherry takes on inconsistent Madhya Pradesh

With four points from three matches, Kerala needs an outright win to set its stuttering campaign right in the tournament. Batting has been Kerala’s achilles heel this season. The batting collapses have been a regular feature in all three matches that Kerala played.

Barring Sachin Baby, none of the top-order batters have shown the required consistency this season. To add to the batting woes, Kerala will be without Sanju V. Samson, who skipped this match for personal reasons.

“Yes, our batting is a big worry. We somehow have to stop these collapses. Our bowlers have been superb, but the batters have let them down. We need to find the right batting combination, and we will be making a few experiments in this match. We cannot take Bihar lightly. They gave a fight to Mumbai. So we must be ready to face tough resistance from them, Sanju will be missed, but it is up to other batters to lift themselves and perform,’‘ said the Kerala coach Venkataramana.

Kerala’s opening bowlers Basil Thampi and M.D. Nidheesh have bowled well in tandem and given the team early breakthroughs. And with the conditions likely to aid them, the duo will hold the key to Kerala’s fortunes.

The Bihar team has been in the news for reasons other than cricket. But Bihar, which won the plate championship last year, had its moments against Mumbai and came up with a gritty second-innings batting display against Chhattisgarh. Kerala will have to play its best cricket to beat the host.

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