Published: Dec 05, 2013, 06:40 PM (IST)
Edited: Dec 05, 2013, 07:05 PM (IST)
New Delhi: Dec 5, 2013
A depleted West Bengal side will be eager to change its dismal away track record against table toppers Railways when the two teams square off in a group B Ranji Trophy encounter on a seamer friendly track at the Jamia Millia Islamia (JMI) University Sports Complex on Friday.
Railways, who will be playing their fifth game, are at the top of the table on 17 points while Bengal have slowly crawled to 11 from five games with a string of first-innings leads.
Murali Kartik‘s side will be favourites going into the match as has been the case for Railways vs Bengal duels in Delhi which the institutional side have always overpowered the heavyweights from the East.
For Bengal, the absence of Wriddhiman Saha, who is in South Africa for the Test series, will be felt badly along with likes of injured Manoj Tiwary and Mohammed Shami (on national duty).
The pitch at JMI has a fair cushion of grass around the good length area on one side of the 22-yard-strip although it certainly isn’t a ‘green-top’.
Veteran curator Noor Mohammed, who also happens to be the Director of Sports (JMI University), said that the batsmen would also enjoy batting on this track.
“We have shaved off a lot of grass but we have kept enough to have good carry and movement throughout the four days. I can assure that first two days will be good for batting and spinners will get help from third day onwards,” Noor Mohammed said on the eve of the match.
Bengal team will have Gitimoy Basu donning the big gloves while all-rounder Arnab Nandy is expected to come in place of Sandipan Das, who looked out of sorts on a flat track against a below par Services attack.
Railways are expected to go with three-pronged pace attack in Anureet Singh (18 wickets), Ranjit Kumar Mali (17 wickets) and Krishna Kant Upadhyay (13 wickets) who have taken 48 wickets amongst themselves. Such has been their domination that skipper Kartik has only bowled 20 overs in three matches so far taking one wicket.
