Mumbai: At the helm of a surface with
an unmatched, abiding Ranji Trophy legacy, Ajit Agarkar is not belittling the
challenge that outsider Saurashtra pose in what would be Mumbai’s 44th final.
The home giants have won India’s premier competition 39 times plus look
favourites to add another title next to an outfit playing its first peak clash,
at the Wankhede Stadium, start on Saturday.
But skipper Agarkar supposed on the
eve of the competition that they would be fools to undervalue the rivals.
"It's a one-off game and we require
to be at our best. Whoever perform better these five days will take the
honours. Any side that makes the final cannot be an easy adversary,” he said.
Agarkar: Lucky to have Sachin
'Wish Pujara and Jadeja were here'
Ranji final hit by scheduling woes
Agarkar struck a rare, vital century
– just his fourth in First Class cricket – against Services in the semi-final,
to bring back to life Mumbai from a dicey situation. Notwithstanding that
rickety start on a cold dawn at the Palam ground, batting has always been the house
team’s strength.
Heavyweights Sachin Tendulkar and
Wasim Jaffer contain been in fine form, southpaw Abhishek Nayar is final in on
a thousand runs for the period, while wicket-keeper batsman Aditya Tare is only
slightly behind in the annual tally.
What makes Mumbai still bigger
favourites is that Saurashtra will be missing their best batsmen in the final.
Domestic huge Cheteshwar Pujara and Ravindra Jadeja are both away on nationwide
duty as their side faces its main contest against terrifyingly overwhelming
opposition.
“It's a very big pastime for us.
Mumbai is an knowledgeable side. We would like to get a good start and put in
our most excellent effort in the first innings. Against Mumbai you always need
to score big runs and after that put pressure at the start. If they don't get a
good start, they from time to time collapse. If you take a few crucial wickets
in flanked by and hold them out it will be good,” said Saurashtra head Jaydev
Shah.
Like his counterpart Agarkar, Shah complete
his presence felt in the semi-final, against Punjab at Rajkot, with an significant
87. The last time the two teams met – during the league phase in December -
Mumbai collective a total north of 600, thanks to Tare’s twice ton, and bowled
Saurashtra out for 300 for the match-deciding first innings lead.
Saurashtra were with no Pujara andJadeja in that game too, a state of affairs that persists to this day.
“We can't help it as they are live
for India. If they were part of the team we would have been mentally up and the
opponent would have felt more force. But we have to fight without them,"
Shah said.
Not like Mumbai will go in with their
favorite selection. They will be without Ajinkya Rahane and Rohit Sharma, as healthy
as the injured left-arm spearhead Zaheer Khan and off-spinner Ramesh Powar.
“We are obviously absent Rohit,
Ajinkya and Zak (Zaheer), all big players. But we have Sachin whose mere attendance
in the dressing room help a lot of the younger guys,” said Agarkar.
Tendulkar has made an crash in each
of the three Ranji games he has played this season. He scored a century apiece next
to Railways and Baroda, and then made 56 in difficult conditions against
Services in the semifinal. The maestro’s presence - and hence the assured throng
turn out - has impelled the Maharashtra Cricket friendship to levy an entry fee
to the ground for final.
The pitch is expected to have a
little something for bowlers in the early stages, and then ease out for bat.
Win the toss, bat first, pile on the runs and hope for the first innings lead
is likely to be the favored strategy.
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