The countdown begins | Latest News India - Hindustan Times
close_game
close_game

The countdown begins

None | ByAtreyo Mukhopadhyay, Cuttack
Mar 16, 2009 12:18 AM IST

The countdown to the Deodhar Trophy final begins on Monday with the last pair of group league matches promising contrasting affairs. Atreyo Mukhopadhyay reports.

The countdown to the Deodhar Trophy final begins on Monday with the last pair of group league matches promising contrasting affairs.

HT Image
HT Image

In Group A, Central Zone must win with a bonus point against East, for whom even a defeat without conceding the bonus will do. In Group B, Zimbabwe President's XI need to snatch bonus point from West and force a three-way tie, also involving South, to let net run rates come into play.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

To make it tough for the Zimbabweans, West have decided against resting key players. "Initially we had thought of making changes to the XI that beat South. An afterthought prompted us to retain the team," said skipper Wasim Jaffer.

The Central-East clash should be interesting. With bonus point becoming important, toss becomes crucial and teams should prefer batting second unless they expect the pitch to get slower in the second half. Irrespective of how it behaves, Central will expect their bowlers to do a lot better than they did against North. On paper, they have the best pace attack comprising RP Singh, Bhuvnesh Kumar and Pankaj Singh to go with spin duo of Piyush Chawla and Murali Kartik.

"Usually, chasing seems a better option in the situation we are in, but it depends on how the conditions are. And you can't keep thinking of bonus points. We have to take it step by step and think of winning first."

While Kaif felt his team would have the advantage of being familiar with conditions at this venue, East skipper Manoj Tiwary said a stern test awaits them in an unknown ground. "We are in a slightly better position (because of the bonus they got against North) but it doesn't make our task easier. We have to be at our best."

"It's about team effort and that's what our batsmen showed in the last match. We needed contributions from everybody and barring me, all got runs."

Tiwary is obviously right in saying it's about teamwork, but it seems that on Monday, East's fortunes will depend on their batsmen. Not many big names there and up against a battery of well-known bowlers, Monday will tell how much names matter.

Unveiling Elections 2024: The Big Picture', a fresh segment in HT's talk show 'The Interview with Kumkum Chadha', where leaders across the political spectrum discuss the upcoming general elections. Watch now!

Get Current Updates on India News, Election 2024, Mukhtar Ansari Death News Live, Bihar Board 10th Result 2024 Live along with Latest News and Top Headlines from India and around the world.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Share this article
SHARE
Story Saved
Live Score
OPEN APP
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
New Delhi 0C
Friday, March 29, 2024
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
Follow Us On