Small teams dare to dream big

MUMBAI: The biggest game of the local cricket season gets underway from Tuesday as Western Railway Sports Association 'B' take on DY Patil Group 'B' at the MIG Club in the Times Shield final. Normally, the summit clash of this premier cricket tournamentinvolves big guns BPCL (the defending champions), Indian Oil, Tata Sports Clubor Air India, but the 2012 final will see two low profile, though efficientsides in action. Western Railway 'B' beat Air India Sports Club in the semis,while DY Patil 'B' overcame Tata Sports Club in the semis.WesternRailway 'B' are coached by Dinesh Lad, the man who mentored star bat RohitSharma, and are led by veteran Shreyas Khanolkar, with the backbone of the sidebeing old warhorse Sanjay Bangar. The team's real big gun, though, is27-year-old Asad Pathan. "Watch out for him. He is an explosivebatsman. I haven't seen anyone hit the ball harder. He is like another YusufPathan! I really feel he should make full use of his talent. He is verytalented. He plays for the RCB in the IPL," former India skipper Diana Eduljee,currently a senior sports officer with the Western Railways, told TOI on Monday.Both the finalists' coaches are also in awe of Pathan."He is in terrific form," said Lad. "He is a free-stroking batsmanand has been making runs in every game," remarked former India seamer AbeyKuruvilla, now a coach with the DY Patil Group 'B' side.Lad has aninteresting tale to narrate, while talking about Western Railway 'B's campaignso far. "We were in a tricky situation at one point, but then my sonSiddhesh Lad helped us cross the line with his 127 against the defendingchampions, BPCL, while playing for Indian Oil. That knock helped Indian Oilavoid relegation too, so he saved both the teams!" Lad said.DY Patil'B' are upbeat too. "We have played as a unit. Everyone has done well. We arelooking forward to the final. Western Railway B will be a strong side," saidKuruvilla.