Hyd looks to regain its rhythm as it takes on Chhattisgarh in next round
Sulking from the nine-wicket loss against Mumbai at home in the previous game, the Hyderabad think-tank hopes for a favourable result at the Gymkhana Ground for this game
Hyderabad: Former champions Hyderabad, led by India fast bowler Mohd Siraj, should look for redemption when it takes on Chhattisgarh in the final round of the Ranji Trophy Elite Group D at Gymkhana Grounds here from Thursday.
Sulking from the nine-wicket loss against Mumbai at home in the previous game, the Hyderabad think-tank hopes for a favourable result at the Gymkhana Ground for this game.
But, again, the team can be low on confidence and motivation as there is nothing at stake except to finish off the Ranji season on a high.
Hyderabad, fifth in the group with 13 points from six games, needs to get its act together against third-placed Chhattisgarh, which has 17 points from an equal number of matches.
Inconsistency has been the bane of Hyderabad this season, which, in a way, is surprising given its fabulous start to the domestic season, having won the Buchi Babu All India invitation tournament in Chennai after a long gap.
All the experiments and changes in captaincy have flopped. It is time to restore some pride with an improved all-round performance.
For that, Hyderabad needs the top-order of the highly-rated P Aman Rao, M Abhirath Reddy, the most successful batter this season, G Rahul Singh (505 runs), wicketkeeper-batter Rahul Radesh (397), K Himateja and the struggling Rohit Rayudu to come good. Tanmay Agarwal will also miss this match because of an injury.
Even in bowling, it was a dismal showing against Mumbai on a bowler-friendly pitch, though the catching was sloppy.
Left-arm pacer Chama Milind will miss the match, and the onus will be on Siraj and Rakshann Readdi, with the other choice in pace narrowing down to B. Punnaiah and Kartikeya Kak. Left-arm spinner Tanay Thyagarajan is back in the team, and with the other left-arm spinner G Anikethreddy, should form a wicket-taking combination.
On the other hand, Chattisgarh has the pace attack led by a former Hyderabadi, Ravi Kiran (26 wickets from six games), but the all-round strength in the form of Ayush Pandey this season (538 runs), Amandeep Khare, and Anuj Tiwari should ensure the desired variety to the team both in batting and bowling.
By all means, it can be a keen contest for sure on what is expected to be a sporting wicket.
