Ranji 2016: Bengal needs an outright win against MP for an outside chance to qualify
Manoj & his team virtually out after BCCI decision
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Bengal cricketers Manoj Tiwary and Pragyan Ojha at Eden Gardens. File Pic.[/caption]
Internet Desk: It will be virtual knock-out match for Bengal as they take on Madhya Pradesh in the last Ranji Trophy group league encounter at the Palam Ground in Delhi from Wednesday. Bengal, languishing at the sixth place in the points table with 18 points from 7 matches in Group A will need an outright win to realistically give them an outside chance of qualification.
Bengal find themselves in such a situation following BCCI’s decision to revoke the rescheduling of its Ranji match against Gujarat. Both Gujarat and Bengal were awarded 1 points each by the senior tournament committee of BCCI on Tuesday, following their cancelled match at the Feroz Shah Kotla due to smog. Mumbai have already qualified from Group A with 29 points along with Gujarat with 25 points (after the 1 point from Bengal match). At this stage Tamil Nadu looks to be the favourites to qualify as they are on 23 points compared to MP (19), Punjab (18) and Bengal (18).
For Bengal, to remain technically alive, a seven point (which includes a bonus) is a must.
The second placed Gujarat, on 25 points, will meet third placed Tamil Nadu on 23 points.
Even if Bengal log home seven points against MP, they can at the max go up to 25 points which eventually may not be enough.
The game between Gujarat and Tamil Nadu will have special significance because if the southern state can manage 3 points and Gujarat get one point, both teams will end on even keel at 26 points and one, if not both, can then qualify for the knock-outs.
In case MP can win with bonus points, they can go up to 26 points with an improved net run-rate and also dislodge one of the two teams.
Manoj Tiwary and his team have to blame themselves for such a situation as they frittered away the advantage in the earlier group league matches against Tamil Nadu and Baroda. Bengal did start the season well with consecutive wins against Railways and Punjab. But a close match against TN where they failed to get the last man out cost them dearly. In the next match against Baroda, the team suffered an embarrassing loss in a low scoring match at Lahli.
“Our top order did not execute the plans that we had set for them in the last few matches. But we are not going to look at the possibilities and try to win the match against MP. The wicket at the Palam ground has some grass but that can also deceive a team as it has traditionally been a slow wicket. Obviously, there will be some help for the seamers for this being an open ground,” skipper Manoj Tiwary said on the eve of the match.
When Asked what were the two turning points of the season, Tiwary said: “The last wicket partnership by Tamil Nadu’s No. 10 and 11 hurt us badly. The match at Lahli, I won’t blame anyone as the wicket was such.
“In our match against Mumbai, Shardul (Thakur) bowled a brilliant spell and in the second innings, when we were sniffing a victory, their new boy Shubham Ranjane batted beautifully against Pragyan Ojha. I feel for Pragyan as he did not get a single wicket this season on tracks that assisted the spinners,” concluded the Bengal skipper.
Going into the match against MP, Bengal will take confidence from the fact that skipper Manoj Tiwary and Sudip Chatterjee are among runs. They are coming back after scoring splendid centuries against Mumbai in the last match. The major concern for Bengal coach Sairaj Bahutule is the form of top order batsmen. Young Abhimanyu Easwaran has been a huge disappointment ever since he scored his maiden ton in the first match against UP. Talented youngsters like Agniv Pan, Sayan Sekhar Mondal has also failed to fire when the team needed them to perform.
In the bowling department, Ashoke Dinda has lived up to the expectation. The India bowler got good support from youngsters Amit Kuila, Pankaj Shaw and Sayan Ghosh. But the biggest let down has been the form of test bowler Pragyan Ojha. The left arm spinner has only got 11 dismissals to his credit including a match winning 4 wickets against Punjab in the second innings.
Madhya Pradesh will have a psychological advantage over Bengal as they registered a huge win over them in their last meeting i.e., the quarter finals last season. MP defeated Bengal by 355 runs to reach the semi-finals.
03 Comments
Karla Gleichauf
12 May 2017 at 05:28 pm
On the other hand, we denounce with righteous indignation and dislike men who are so beguiled and demoralized by the charms of pleasure of the moment
M Shyamalan
12 May 2017 at 05:28 pm
On the other hand, we denounce with righteous indignation and dislike men who are so beguiled and demoralized by the charms of pleasure of the moment
Liz Montano
12 May 2017 at 05:28 pm
On the other hand, we denounce with righteous indignation and dislike men who are so beguiled and demoralized by the charms of pleasure of the moment