India teammates Suresh Raina and Harbhajan Singh will look to outwit each other when they lead Uttar Pradesh and Punjab respectively in their opening match of the Ranji trophy season here tomorrow.
Published: Nov 02, 2011, 09:27 PM (IST)
Edited: Nov 02, 2011, 09:27 PM (IST)
Suresh Raina was dropped from India squad for first West Indies Test © AFP
Mohali: Nov 2, 2011
India teammates Suresh Raina and Harbhajan Singh will look to outwit each other when they lead Uttar Pradesh and Punjab respectively in their opening match of the Ranji trophy season here tomorrow.
Dropped from India’s squad for the first Test against West Indies at home, both Raina and Harbhajan will look to fight their way back into the national team with a good performance in the domestic season.
Leading the side this time, Raina has some key players in vice-captain RP Singh, Mohammed Kaif, Piyush Chawla, Sudeep Tyagi and Tanmay Srivastava, among others and he will hope they deliver the goods tomorrow.
Raina said his team is all pumped up to do well against Punjab, who boosts of some quality youngsters.
“The opening match of the season is always important. The Punjab team has lot of good youngsters and a top-class off-spinner in Harbhajan. Our team is also pumped-up for the match, especially the youngsters are yearning to showcase their talent,” Raina said.
“I think we have formidable bowling line-up which includes RP Singh, Piyush Chawla, Sudeep Tyagi and Bhuvnesh Kumar. Praveen will be joining us in the next match. So the contest will be very even,” he said.
UP’s team manager AW Zaidi hoped they would open their account with a win after having failed to reach the knockout stage in the last season.
“Praveen Kumar will be joining us in the next match. The playing conditions in Mohali are perfect and our boys are raring to go,” Zaidi told PTI.
About his own batting form, Raina said, “I have been batting well in the last few months. The series against West Indies went off well for me. I have been working hard on my game and have been enjoying cricket in the recent years.
“The upcoming Ranji matches will provide good opportunities to me, whenever I get the chance in the second or third Test match against West Indies, I will be up for the challenge,” Raina said.
“I have been talking to the senior players about my game, which has helped me immensely. I have been hitting the ball well, scoring runs in lesser balls and I am fully fit. I think this match will give me a chance to give my best and then I can aim to secure Test place,” Raina added.
Harbhajan, who was also ignored for the first Test, will be in charge of leading the Punjab side and the off-spinner will look to use his experience to inspire his team tomorrow.
Commenting on non-inclusion of Harbhajan Singh in the national side, Vikram Rathore, Cricket Manager of the Punjab team, said, “Unfortunately Bhajji has not been told why he is not in the team, I think he should be given a reason why he was dropped from the Indian team.
“I feel this break would do work for him. He is a fighter, who is very keen on making a comeback. Whenever Harbhajan has played for Punjab, he is always quite involved and gives his best. It is a best chance for him to do well at his home ground and make a mark.”
Asked how the wicket was like, Rathore said, “We had planned that we will have a good batting wicket in the first Ranji match when Harbhajan Singh is in the team and we have a batting wicket which will turn in the last days. It will definitely benefit Punjab. Mohali wicket has always been more seamer friendly one. This will be batting friendly wicket.”
Punjab has drafted in young medium pacer Sandeep Sharma, who was member of the India Under-19 team, as a replacement of injured medium pace bowler Luv Ablish.
