It is a match where the two teams - Madhya Pradesh and Hyderabad with 11 and 12 points respectively from four games each - look to sustain the winning momentum when they clash in a Ranji Trophy Group B league match at the Holkar Stadium here from Thursday.
Interestingly, it was the pace bowlers who fashioned the win for the two teams and Hyderabad captain P. Akshath Reddy believes there will be more help for them on the track here than for the spinners.
“It looks like a typical Hyderabad wicket which should assist the bowlers in the first hour and then ease out considerably,” says Akshath.
Effectively, the three-man attack of Hyderabad – Ravi Kiran, T. Ravi Teja and Mohammad Mudassir - can be the decisive factor.
Read: Delhi takes on Andhra in crucial tie
Significantly, the strike rate of left-arm spinner Tanay Thyagarajan who had a five-wicket haul on debut against Delhi and followed it up with an impressive outing against Himachal is something to cheer about even though one is not sure whether the other left-arm spinner Mehdi Hasan will be preferred to the offspinner Saaketh Sai Ram for this game.
For Hyderabad, batting seems to be well-settled with the openers, southpaw Tanmay Agarwal and Akshath in good form and there is the ever-reliable B. Sandeep.
What can be a cause of worry is the indifferent form of No. 3 Rohit Rayudu and wicketkeeper-batsman K. Sumanth.
On the other hand, Madhya Pradesh will have the familiarity of playing in home conditions.
It is imperative for the likes of vice-captain Rajat Patidar (507 runs this season), Shubham Sharma, Yash Dubey, experienced captain Naman Ojha and Ayushman Birla to come good with the bat to give the bowlers the platform to go all out.
In bowling, a lot depends on how good pace spearhead Kuldeep Sen can be in the company of Avesh Khan, who had a wonderful outing against Kerala in the previous game, and seasoned Ishwar Pandey. In spin, it will a be a test for legspinner Mihir Hirwani.
The teams (from):
Hyderabad: P. Akshath Reddy (capt), Tanmay Agarwal, Rohit Rayudu, B. Sandeep, Himalay Agawarl, K. Sumanth (wk), T. Ravi Teja, Tanay Thyagarajan, Ravi Kiran, Mohammad Mudassir, Mehdi Hasan, Ajay Dev Goud, K.S.K. Chaitanya, P. Saketh Sai Ram and Chaitanya Reddy.
Madhya Pradesh: Naman Ojha (capt), Rajat Patidar (vice-capt), Ajay Rohera Shubham Sharma, Aryaman Birla, Mihir Hirwani, Venkatesh Iyer, Kumar Kartikeya Singh, Avesh Khan, Ishwar Pandey, Anshul Tripathi, Puneet Datey and Anand Singh Bais.
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