Battle between experience and talent as Vidarbha take on Chhattisgarh

NAGPUR: The Punjab game was just the kind of start coach Chandrakant Pandit would have hoped for. Vidarbha's young pacers bundled out Punjab cheaply on the first morning. The openers provided a perfect start. The middle order cashed in on it and had substantial partnerships as Vidarbha garnered a healthy innings lead. The spinners then sent Punjab packing inside two sessions.

Punjab are a dangerous side in their own den, but Vidarbha handed them a sound thrashing. With a massive victory under their belt, the Faiz Fazal-led side would look to carry the momentum forward. They are now up against an inexperienced but a talented Chhattisgarh in their second Ranji Trophy match, which begins at Vidarbha Cricket Association's Jamtha stadium on Tuesday.

Chhattisgarh are a competitive side but on paper, they are no match for Vidarbha. The only thing Vidarbha need to worry about is complacency. With a full strength squad, Pandit would be expecting ruthlessness from his wards.

They already have seven points in their kitty and face two relatively inexperienced sides in their two next two matches at home. Vidarbha would like to take full advantage of the home conditions and the presence of Umesh Yadav and Karn Sharma.

The India pacer is all set to get going before the Sri Lanka Tests. Umesh hasn't played any cricket since September 28. So, it's a good opportunity for him to get some match practice and be in rhythm. With two seasoned players—Umesh and Sharma—coming in, Vidarbha team management has selection headache, surely a pleasant one.

In the second innings, spinners Akshay Wakhare (4) and Akshay Karnewar (6) shared all ten Punjab wickets between them. The pace bowlers, led by Lalit Yadav, also did well in the last match. The Jamtha wicket has a tinge of green and if Vidarbha opt for three pacers, one of the two spinners will have to make way for leg-spinner Karn Sharma.

The home team might also look to play with four batsmen and wicketkeeper Jitesh Sharm as they have allrounders like Karnewar and Sharma in their fold. In that case Apoorv Wankhede will have to sit out.

Chhattisgarh, on the other hand, have nothing to lose. In their maiden First Class season, Chhattisgarh impressed everyone with their never say die attitude. Though they have a young team, there's no dearth of talent.

Almost all the top order batsmen have scored hundreds. The youngsters like Amandeep Khare, Ashutosh Singh, Sahil Gupta and wicketkeeper Manoj Singh have proved they have the required batting talent.

Chhattisgarh have an experienced captain in former international star Mohammad Kaif. The inclusion of former MP allrounder Jatin Saxena has boosted the team, while Abhimanyu Chauhan's presence at the top order has given them the stability. His hundred against Bengal was the only shining light in the losing cause. Chhattisgarh have several multi utility players, which make them a dangerous unit.

It's the bowling which is a worry for Chhattisgarh. They heavily rely on medium pacer Pankaj Rao and former Vidarbha left-arm spinner Sumit Ruikar. Their bowlers struggled against Bengal in the last match, although Chhattisgarh put up a spirited show in the second essay. The visitors need to be at their best against Vidarbha, who have covered almost all the bases.

The Squads

Vidarbha: Faiz Fazal (Captain), Ganesh Satish (vice-captain), Wasim Jaffer, Umesh Yadav, Karn Sharma, R Sanjay, Siddesh Wath (wicketkeeper), Jitesh Sharma (wicketkeeper), Apoorv Wankhade, Akshay Karnewar, Lalit Yadav, Rajneesh Gurbani, Siddesh Neral, Ravi Thakur, Aditya Sarwate, Akshay Wakhare. Coach: Chandrakant Pandit.

Chhattisgarh: Mohammad Kaif (captain), Sahil Gupta, Abhimanyu Chuahan, Amandeep Khare, Ashutosh Singh, Rishabh Tiwari, Manoj Singh (wicketkeeper), Vishal Kushwaha, Sumit Ruikar, Shourabh Kharwar, Shubham Agrawal, Jatin Saxena, Shahnawaz Hussain, Prateek Sinha, Shubham Singh. Coach: Mukund Parmar.