Ranji Trophy Plate Group A Match

Assam vs Tripura:

Guwahati, Dec. 7: Host Assam’s morale is running high after registering back-to-back wins against Kerala in Silchar and Services during the last two weeks.

The team will now look for an outright win against Tripura to be invincible in second place in the group tally with 16 points.

Tripura, however, will be no pushovers, after registering a four-wicket win against Kerala in Agartala this week.

The crucial Ranji Trophy Plate Group A four-day league match will be held at Nehru Stadium in Guwahati from Sunday.

Assam has 11 points and Tripura eight from four matches each.

Assam need only three points by virtue of a first innings lead from a drawn encounter to seal their berth in the knockouts.

Gujarat lead the group A tally with 22 points from four matches and meet Kerala -- with eight points -- in Ahmedabad from Sunday.

Orissa eliminated Assam in the semifinals last year at Barabati Stadium in Cuttack.

Assam have flown in Bangalore professional left arm spinner Anand Katti to replace Tamil Nadu recruit all-rounder S. Suresh in the match. Suresh had injured his finger in the last match against Services. The Assam Cricket Association will name the state squad for the match tomorrow.

Sources said barring Katti replacing Suresh, there would hardly be any change in the winning combination. The playing XI will have Krishna Das and Mrigen Talukdar as medium pacers and Katti and Arlen Konwar as the spinners. Katti’s inclusion will reinforce the spin attack. “Arlen Konwar will now be able to bowl without pressure, with Katti as a back-up,” said team manager Umananda Bora.

With Suresh out of the squad, either Saurav Bhagawati or Souvik Das will make the cut as a top order batsman and the fifth bowler for the team will be either Bichitra Baruah or Dhiraj Goswami. Tripura, on the other hand, have a promising batting line-up comprising Timir Chanda, Kishore Muhuri, Rajib Dutta, Rajesh Banik and Subal Chowdhury, who would definitely look forward to the batting track of the Nehru Stadium wicket with a fast outfield for some handsome scores.

The toss will once again play a vital role even after the Assam team management has, this time, impressed upon the ground committee to prepare a sporty track after surviving a scare on a purely batting track in the earlier match against Services.

Posted on: The Telegraph