Irani Cup: Karnataka have the edge

BANGALORE: The last time Karnataka played at the Chinnaswamy stadium was in the Ranji Trophy quarterfinal against Uttar Pradesh in January when early morning dew on a responsive pitch made life hell for batsmen in the pre-lunch session on all days.
The pitch for Sunday's Irani Cup against Rest of India looks greener and fresher than that pitch. However, winter has already tapered off in Bangalore and with very little moisture in the air the devil in the pitch may be pronounced only on the opening day of the 5-day match, if at all.
The grass, on the other hand, while looking meaner, is actually expected to bind the pitch and aid batsmen in subsequent sessions.
Karnataka, who won the Ranji Trophy in style earlier this month, have much to live up to. The young team, which has an enviable all-round depth, has been strengthened with the return of all-rounder Stuart Binny and promising fast bowler HS Sharath.
The finds of the season, batsman Karun Nair and all-rounder Shreyas Gopal add tremendous lustre to a team that already has such talented batsmen like KL Rahul, Robin Uthappa, Manish Pandey, Ganesh Satish and CM Gautham.
But Rest skipper Harbhajan Singh looked at it differently: "I captained the team last year and we beat Mumbai. For each of us this game is important. And if we perform, it will help the team's cause," he said.
The importance Harbhajan refers to stems from the fact that this is the last opportunity to catch the selectors' eye before the tour of England (June 26 to Sept 7; 5 Tests, 5 ODIs, 1 T20).