Himachal test for Delhi as semis kick on
Vivek MV, Bengaluru, Dec 25, 2015, DHNS:
TN take on Gujarat for a place in final
After an action-packed quarterfinal round, which involved some nail-biting finishes, the four qualified teams will aim to stretch their good run when the semifinals of the Vijay Hazare Trophy will be played here on Saturday.
In the first semifinal, Delhi face Himachal Pradesh at the Chinnaswamy Stadium while four-time champions Tamil Nadu will lock horns with Gujarat in the second last-four clash.
Barring one disappointing outing against Vidarbha in the group stage, where they failed to overhaul a paltry total of 163, Delhi have remained unbeaten, with bowling being their area of strength.
Spinners Manan Sharma and Pawan Negi have been consistent throughout the tournament while medium pacer Subodh Bhati has come into his own to be the highest wicket-taker for the side with 14 scalps. Every time their batsmen have struggled, Delhi's bowlers have come to the rescue, defending low totals.
On the batting front, the middle order looks settled for Delhi but they would hope for a strong start from their openers. Shikhar Dhawan's presence will boost their top order and the southpaw can damage any bowling attack on his day. Despite a poor show in the quarterfinals against Jharkhand, Unmkut Chand, Delhi's top scorer with 228 runs, will be eyeing a big knock in the quarterfinals.
In terrific touch
For Himachal, their top three batsmen -- Ankush Bains, Prashant Chopra and Robin Bist -- have been in terrific touch while right-arm medium pacer Pankaj Jaiswal has been the pick of their bowlers.
Speaking on Saturday's clash, Himachal's key player Rishi Dhawan said: "There are no special plans against Delhi. They are a strong side. But we have to stick to our basics and play well. Our youngsters have done a good job till now. The team atmosphere has been great and we hope to play to our potential and script a win against Delhi.”
After a wake-up call against Uttar Pradesh in their last eight clash on Thursday, Tamil Nadu cannot afford for another complacent batting performance against Gujarat.
To their good fortune, Ashwin’s captaincy has inspired the side and the results are there to be seen.
The off-spinner is a lethal weapon in the bowling unit and has been impressive with his leadership skills, taking clever decisions and motivating his players.
Tamil Nadu’s dominance in the competition has been marked by a fine batting effort from their middle-order, comprising youngsters Baba Aparajith, Baba Indrajith and Vijay Shankar.
Aparajith, who looked out of sorts in the Ranji Trophy, seems to have found his lost touch, slamming three half-centuries and one century. The right-handed batsman is also the second highest run-getter in the tournament, behind Punjab’s Mandeep Singh (394).
Gujarat’s fine run has come on the back of a stupendous show from all-rounder and captain Axar Patel who has stepped up with his bat, contributing consistently and has been the vital cog in Gujarat’s wins so far.
In the first semifinal, Delhi face Himachal Pradesh at the Chinnaswamy Stadium while four-time champions Tamil Nadu will lock horns with Gujarat in the second last-four clash.
Barring one disappointing outing against Vidarbha in the group stage, where they failed to overhaul a paltry total of 163, Delhi have remained unbeaten, with bowling being their area of strength.
Spinners Manan Sharma and Pawan Negi have been consistent throughout the tournament while medium pacer Subodh Bhati has come into his own to be the highest wicket-taker for the side with 14 scalps. Every time their batsmen have struggled, Delhi's bowlers have come to the rescue, defending low totals.
On the batting front, the middle order looks settled for Delhi but they would hope for a strong start from their openers. Shikhar Dhawan's presence will boost their top order and the southpaw can damage any bowling attack on his day. Despite a poor show in the quarterfinals against Jharkhand, Unmkut Chand, Delhi's top scorer with 228 runs, will be eyeing a big knock in the quarterfinals.
In terrific touch
For Himachal, their top three batsmen -- Ankush Bains, Prashant Chopra and Robin Bist -- have been in terrific touch while right-arm medium pacer Pankaj Jaiswal has been the pick of their bowlers.
Speaking on Saturday's clash, Himachal's key player Rishi Dhawan said: "There are no special plans against Delhi. They are a strong side. But we have to stick to our basics and play well. Our youngsters have done a good job till now. The team atmosphere has been great and we hope to play to our potential and script a win against Delhi.”
After a wake-up call against Uttar Pradesh in their last eight clash on Thursday, Tamil Nadu cannot afford for another complacent batting performance against Gujarat.
To their good fortune, Ashwin’s captaincy has inspired the side and the results are there to be seen.
The off-spinner is a lethal weapon in the bowling unit and has been impressive with his leadership skills, taking clever decisions and motivating his players.
Tamil Nadu’s dominance in the competition has been marked by a fine batting effort from their middle-order, comprising youngsters Baba Aparajith, Baba Indrajith and Vijay Shankar.
Aparajith, who looked out of sorts in the Ranji Trophy, seems to have found his lost touch, slamming three half-centuries and one century. The right-handed batsman is also the second highest run-getter in the tournament, behind Punjab’s Mandeep Singh (394).
Gujarat’s fine run has come on the back of a stupendous show from all-rounder and captain Axar Patel who has stepped up with his bat, contributing consistently and has been the vital cog in Gujarat’s wins so far.
No comments:
Post a Comment