Odisha eye consecutive victory

Sambalpur: The rain on Saturday night may have brought a welcome relief from the low pressure plaguing this quiet town and other parts of the state for the last couple of days, but it was not good news for two teams who are dwelling in the middle of Group B table at the halfway point of their group-stage campaign in Ranji Trophy.
With seven and five points in their respective kitty from the three matches they have played so far, Odisha and Vidarbha cannot afford to not step on the gas when they take on one another in the fourth match of their campaign at VSS Stadium here from Monday.
But the condition of the outfield here, parts of which looked unplayable on Sunday and concerned the match referee, could mean a delayed start to the tie, if not abandonment altogether. With the weather forecast signalling more rainfall, things are not looking up for both the contenders.
The home team, who went through with their practice session at the venue on Sunday afternoon, however, did not look too concerned about the weather and chose to keep up the high morale from their outright win in the last match against Haryana. With one victory, one loss and a draw so far, Odisha are placed fifth in Group B, just above their opposition Vidarbha.
With a batting coach in the form of former India opener Shiv Sunder Das roped in before the start of the domestic season, and a new captain in Abhilash Mallick, the hosts’ batsmen are beginning to complement their bowlers on the field.
Mallick led from the front with a match-saving century against Gujarat and Biplab Samantray, who looks more consistent after handing over the skipper’s badge, also scored a ton in the first match against Punjab and claimed some important victims with the ball. The most consistent batsman for Odisha is Natraj Behera who has an average above 60 in the campaign so far.
It was, however, the pace trio of Basant Mohanty, Suryakant Pradhan and Deepak Behera that bowled Haryana out for 127 and 143 on the Lahli pitch and earned the vital six points from the match. With a wicket on the greener side and moisture to aid their bowling, the team will once again bank on the Debashis Mohanty-coached pacers for another good show.
With no injury worries to delve upon, it is imperative for the hosts to go with the winning combination from the last game. “Isn’t that what we should be doing?” was coach Mohanty’s reply when asked about the playing XI.
But the visiting team, who came for a morning practice, did not look too happy at the prospect of playing on a dangerous outfield. They, in fact, left the stadium on Sunday without any interaction with the media.
Yet, Vidarbha, who have played three draws with one first-innings lead, are not a team to be underestimated. That was also the word of caution from Das, who served as a consultant and player for them, before joining the Odisha staff. “They are a good side and we cannot take them lightly,” said Das.
In spite of their sixth position, Vidarbha are not to be taken lightly as they have veterans like skipper S Badrinath (152 n.o. vs Rajasthan) and Ganesh Satish. Both of them left their southern home sides this season for the western contingent and are forces to be reckoned with.
They also have the services of opener Faiz Fazal and bowlers like Ravikumar Thakur, who already has a five-wicket, four-wicket and three-wicket haul this season. Medium pacer Swanil Bandiwar and left-arm offie Rakesh Dhruv are also in good form.
But, in the end, if the rain gods refute forecasts and take a break, it will be a very important toss to win and, hopefully, an intriguing contest to watch.