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Rajasthan seek the final kill vs Baroda
History has already been made. Now, it's a question of taking it one step further, as Rajasthan take on Baroda in the Ranji Trophy final beginning at Motibagh ground in Vadodara on Tuesday.
History has already been made. Now, it's a question of taking it one step further, as Rajasthan take on Baroda in the Ranji Trophy final beginning at Motibagh ground in Vadodara on Tuesday.
Both teams will have a lot to look forward to over the next five days. Rajasthan became the first team to qualify for the final from the Plate League since this format was introduced in 2008-09. If they win, Hrishikesh Kanitkar's giant killers will not only become the first team from Plate to become champions but also claim their first title, 37 years after making their previous final appearance.
This would further boost the demand of at least four teams' promotion from Plate to Super League instead of the existing two per year. But for that to happen, not only will Kanitkar and Aakash Chopra have to lead the way with the willow but Deepak Chahar and Pankaj Singh will also have to maintain their impressive run with the ball.
If not anything else, after having stunned powerhouses Mumbai and Tamil Nadu in the quarter-final and semi-final, respectively, the Plate stars have made sure that in this final, there are no favourites, no underdogs.
On the other hand, Baroda will hope to win their sixth title, the first in 10 years. But unlike in last week's semi-final, where an under-prepared track helped them overcome fancied Karnataka in less than five sessions, they wouldn't have the pitch to help them as the 12th man.
After the Reliance Cricket Stadium strip came under scathing criticism, the Baroda Cricket Association has shifted the match to the picturesque Motibagh ground which last hosted a Ranji Trophy final 53 years ago.
But this wouldn't really take the advantage away from Pinal Shah's side, since Motibagh had been their preferred venue for home ties throughout this season. Road to final
With the stakes high, all that one hopes is that this important clash doesn't turn out to be like the show that virtually ended even before it started, last week.
