IT WILL be the old venue but new turf for table toppers Vidarbha when they take on Gujarat in the fifth round match of Ranji Trophy at VCA Jamtha Stadium in the outskirts of the city from Wednesday. Vidarbha have played many a match at this venue but the soil has been changed and pitches have been relaid a few months back. With no practice matches on the 22-yard strip, it will be like a bit of ‘alien condition’ when Vidarbha step into the field on the morrow. The pitches are mixture of red and black soil from Mumbai and Madhya Pradesh, it has been learnt. “It looks like a hard turf and the soil is mixture of red and black. We will see the track again on the morrow and then only will decide our XI. The pitch which will be used for the match has red soil,” said Vidarbha coach Usman Ghani while talking with ‘The Hitavada.’ Vidarbha is the only unbeaten team in the competition this season and is dominating Group B with 25 points in their bag.

 

 

Their mammoth innings and 88 runs win over Himachal Pradesh has shot up the confidence level of not only the bowlers, who have taken 20 wickets in all the matches but also the batters who are among runs. Dhruv Shorey and Yash Rathod both scored a century each in the last match and would love to carry that form further. Atharva Taide, who has a century under his belt, would hope to score some big runs ahead of Syed Mushtaq Ali T20 and get noticed for the IPL Auction next month. Same will be the case with Karun Nair who was the top scorer for Vidarbha last season.

 

Bespectacled Rathod with three successive hundreds under his belt is in roseate of form and would be a dangerous batter for Gujarat who have won three and drew their last match against Pondicherry (first innings lead). They have 18 points against their name and will face a stiff challenge from Vidarbha bowlers, specially Harsh Dubey who is the top wicket-taker of the tournament till date. Manan Hingrajia, captain Chintan Gaja, Priyank Panchal, Aarya Desai will have to be at their best to tackle Vidarbha bowlers. With Umesh Yadav still recovering, Aditya Thakare has done a fine job in pace bowlers’ department along with Praful Hinge and Nachiket Bhute. They have given Vidarbha timely breakthroughs in the previous matches and would love to do so at Jamtha as well. With this being the last round before Mushtaq Ali break, Vidarbha would aim to register another outright win and make it to the quarters.