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A twisted ankle didn’t stop Andrew Symonds from scoring a fifty © Getty Images

Twist and shout
Andrew Symonds’ innings started in a hurry despite a slip on the damp surface. Opening with a cut from his second ball, he followed it with a cover-driven boundary and turned his ankle running on the grass next to the pitch. He grimaced and limped but continued to bat and when he planted Muttiah Muralitharan for a straight six he had 14 from five balls. After making an unbeaten 50, his injury prevented him from fielding.Flattened again
The squash ball has returned to haunt Sri Lanka. Adam Gilchrist chopped one up to strengthen his grip during the World Cup final against them and struck 149, which created claims in Sri Lanka that it was against the rules. The appliance was back in his glove today when he hit his 100th six in Tests.Overloaded
Sri Lanka’s struggling fast bowlers were placed under more pressure with the absence of Farveez Maharoof due to a stress fracture in his ankle. Muralitharan took the load at one end and Lasith Malinga and Dilhara Fernando carried most of the duties from the other. Once this series is over, the Sri Lankan attack may put in for group stress leave.Lights out
Bad light has caused regular disruptions during the first two Tests and the reduction in play has upset some spectators. However, Adam Gilchrist was in no doubt about the decision to call play off early. “It was difficult to see out there,” he said. “It’s more cut and dried here, where there are no artificial lights [like in Brisbane]. That’s where it gets confusing and uncertainty comes in for everyone. Here it’s a pretty clean-cut decision.”Rugged up
The sweaters Sri Lanka have lugged around were not wasted as the weather turned cold, misty and windy at Bellerive. It was good for the sailors wanting to use their spinnakers, but it made things even more uncomfortable for the hand-rubbing visitors.

Some supporters heading to the Caribbean for next year’s World Cup have reacted angrily to what they claim is an overt attempt to rip off tourists with the introduction of special visa requirements for the period January to May.While the nationals of some countries taking part will be exempt – the UK, Canada, Ireland, South Africa and Netherlands for example – those traveling to the tournament from others places – such as Australia, New Zealand, India and Pakistan – will need to apply for the special Caricom visa which will cost US$100.Officially, the idea behind the visa is to enable local border controls to be waived during the event and also to try to ensure that security is maintained at a high level.Officials stated that visa application centres would be set up in London, Toronto , New York, Miami, New Delhi and Sydney. In addition, those who need visas and who were already in CARICOM states may apply directly to the special visa sites locally. They added that it was hoped to process all applications within three weeks.However, critics are quick to point out that the move adds to already vastly inflated prices in the region as businesses look to cash-in on the seven-week tournament. In Australia, fans have lambasted what they called a cash grab. Tour operators, whose clients have paid thousands of dollars each to go to the Caribbean, are said to have been inundated with calls from angry customers.

Information on the issuing sites, visa application form and the Instruction Sheet are available on IMPACS website at: www.caricomimpacs.org.

Sanath Jayasuriya returns to one-day fold © Getty Images

Sri Lanka’s selectors have named Sanath Jayasuriya, the centre of a selection controversy in recent weeks, in a 16-man squad for Sri Lanka’s forthcoming four-match ODI series in New Zealand. His inclusion, though, is “subject to fitness” according to a Sri Lanka cricket media release.Jayasuriya’s surprise sacking from the Sri Lanka Test team for their now-completed tour to India created a storm of protest and media criticism. The selectors first justified their decision on the grounds of form and fitness and then changed the rationale to simply fitness as criticism snowballed.After Sri Lanka’s new president ordered a government probe into the decision, a quick Jayasuriya return was always on the cards, especially as he rediscovered some form playing domestic cricket for Bloomfield, his local club in Colombo.The selectors made several changes following Sri Lanka’s 6-1 drubbing by India in November, axing Upul Chandana, Nuwan Zoysa, Thilan Samaraweera and Dilhara Lokuhettige. Their replacements included Malinga Bandara, Lasith Malinga, Ruchira Perera and Jehan Mubarak.Further selection controversy is likely to be sparked by the omission of Chandana and Zoysa, both of whom starred last year for the one-day team sharing 67 wickets between them. Chandana chipped in with a bat during several crucial run chases and was also Sri Lanka’s highest wicket-taker in 2004.The selectors instead opted for the promising Malinga Bandara, now 25, who performed reasonably well during the recent three-match Test series against India. Perera, a 29-year-old fast bowler with a Bad Boy image due to frequent run-ins with officials and opponents, is Zoysa’s replacement.Mubarak, 24, included in place of Samaraweera, secured a place in the team despite a disappointing Test series against India with scores of 29 not out, 3, 13 and 18. His one-day record is also shaky with 68 runs at 9.71 in his seven previous matches.Sri Lanka’s players will spend Christmas weekend at home before leaving for New Zealand on Tuesday. The four-match series, which starts on December 31 at Queenstown, is a continuation of the unfinished five-match series abandoned last Christmas due to the Asian tsunami.Squad:Marvan Atapattu (captain), Chaminda Vaas (vice-captain), Sanath Jayasuriya, Mahela Jayawardene, Kumar Sangakkara, Tillakaratne Dilshan, Upul Tharanga, Farveez Maharoof, Muttiah Muralitharan, Avishka Gunawardene, Lasith Malinga, Malinga Bandara, Jehan Mubarak, Russel Arnold, Ruchira Perera, Dilhara Fernando

ScorecardDay 4
Bulletin – India wrap up series win
Quotes – ‘Ashraful played the best innings of the series’ – Ganguly
The Big Picture – Consolation Prize
Day 3
Bulletin – Ashraful heroics delay the inevitable
Verdict – Blossom in a bed of weeds
Quotes – ‘I’m disappointed that I could not save my team’ – Ashraful
Feature – The Rafique Story: Someone to emulate
The Big Picture – Remembering a legend
Day 2
Bulletin – India in command after making 540
Verdict – Little sparks in darkness
Roving Reporter – The difference a day makes
The Big Picture – No.35 can wait
Day 1
Bulletin – Gambhir and Dravid pile it on
Verdict – Toddler’s candy and the Ugly Sister
Exclusive – Dravid on his endurance
Stat of the day – Dravid’s hundreds in all Test countries
The Big Picture – That sinking feeling

Abhijit Kale: under scrutiny © Mid-Day

The controversy sorrounding the alleged bribe offer to Indian selectors fromIndian cricket was been rocked by a potentially damaging controversy involving Abhijit Kale, a prolific batsman in domestic cricket. Allegations surfaced this evening that he had offered two Indian selectors Rs 10 Lakh (approx. US$21,860) for a place in the India A side. Kale denied the charge emphatically, but the Maharashtra Cricket Association said that Kale would be barred from turning out for the state until his name was cleared.Jagmohan Dalmiya, the president of the Indian board, refused either to deny or confirm the allegation, saying that the BCCI’s lawyers were studying the matter seriously. “This matter has serious legal ramifications,” he told Wisden Cricinfo: “I will make a statement on it tomorrow.”Earlier in the day, NDTV, a news channel, had reported Professor Ratnakar Shetty, the BCCI’s joint secretary, as making the allegations against Kale. The Press Trust of India, a news agency, quoted Shetty as saying: “The player had offered to pay money to a couple of selectors for a place in the India A team. I can assure you that stern action will be taken against the player.”Kale went on television and denied these charges vigorously. Speaking to NDTV, he said, “I am surprised by these allegations. I have played cricket for ten years and have scored 24 first-class centuries, and my record speaks for itself. There is no need for me to do all this.” Asked by Zee News if he had offered money to the two selectors concerned, Kiran More and Pranab Roy, Kale said, “I have never spoken to them.”Balasaheb Thorve, the president of the Maharashtra Cricket Association, said that Kale would not be considered for selection again until he was cleared by the BCCI. “We shall not consider a tarnished player for selection,” he said. “However, we shall go by whatever the BCCI decides.” Maharashtra are scheduled to open their Ranji Trophy season with a plate-group match against Saurashtra at Rajkot on Nov 23. India A’s first match against the Sri Lankan tourists is also scheduled to begin on the same day, at Ahmedabad.Yajurvindra Singh, a former India player and the chairman of selectors of Maharashtra, told Wisden Cricinfo: “I am surprised by this news. I do not think Kale has the resources to offer this kind of a bribe.”Abhijit Kale started out as a prolific batsman in Mumbai’s age-group teams, but shifted to Maharashta where he soon became their leading batsman. After a couple of prolific Ranji seasons he made his way into the Indian set-up, but was discarded after a solitary one-day international, in which he scored 10.

The similarities between Wellington’s two State Shield wins at the Basin Reserve this weekend, which gave them two bonus points, 10 points in all, and hurled them to the top of the Shield table, were various and unmistakable.Twice they lost the toss and were forced to bat and twice, in difficult or unproductive conditions, they achieved moderate but defensible totals. Twice they batted with a rich mixture of luck and application, enthusiasm and recklessness to create, through that goulash, an innings of some substance and merit.Then twice and without bowling as well as either of their performances implies, they dismissed their opponents for piecemeal totals and were able to walk away, not only with victories which were as comprehensive as they were improbable, but with the bonus points which are the final arbiters of merit.Yesterday, they made 168 in 50 overs and dismissed Central for 58 in 86 minutes – the lowest score by any New Zealand one-day side in domestic competition against another. Today, they made 206/9 in a match shortened to 42 overs per side by rain, which delayed the start by 90 minutes, and they bowled out Northern for 127 to win by 79 runs in the 37th over.Their 206 was founded on the innings of captain Matthew Bell who made 65, who threaded together a necklace of small performances to form a greater and more valuable whole and who batted all but five of the overs of the innings.Bell left Wellington 164/5 when he was out in the 37th over and was able to see them add another 42 runs at a cost of four wickets in a helter-skelter chase over those last five overs.Just as their 168 against Central had seemed vulnerable on Saturday, till Central’s reply gave it context, Wellington’s 206 today seemed achievable for a Northern side with a reasonable retinue of batting talent. But once again Northern’s reply gave Wellington’s innings lustre and, particularly, reflected credit on the performance of Bell.He glued together Wellington’s innings in a series of small partnerships, the largest of which was his 51 with Chris Nevin and the largest contribution towards which was Nevin’s 28 in 63 minutes. He put on an additional 43 for the second wicket with Richard Jones, who made 14, and 37 with Matthew Walker, who survived him and made 25.There were then, in the final overs, the scattergun contributions of Walker, of Mayu Pasupati who made 14 from nine balls and Mark Jefferson who made 13. These added up to something valuable though no-one matched Bell’s steadiness and application. The innings was weakened by three run outs, including Bell’s which brought his innings to a wasteful finish, and which mirrored the three run outs which blighted their innings of Central Districts.Bell’s 167-minute stay at the crease was almost two hours longer than the residence of any other batsman and he survived exacting spells from Daryl Tuffey, Ian Butler and Joseph Yovich.Butler, who bowls with surprising pace, had disconcerted Jones with a bouncer which struck him through his visor in the first over he received and which left his face raw and puffy through the remainder of the day.The opening salvo of Northern’s reply to Wellington’s 206 made it seem in an instant to shrink in scale. Simon Doull, promoted to open with James Marshall, took two fours and a six among 18 runs from the over from James Franklin – helping himself to 16 – and sending a thrill of nervous anticipation down the backs of the Wellington’s fieldsman.But Doull’s assault was short-lived – a storm which blew itself out too soon. He was out in only the second over of the innings when Northern were 22, when he was 18, and the innings then began to sag into an unseemly mass.Franklin returned determined and revitalised and, after Mark Gillespie had removed Doull and Marshall, claimed two wickets of his own to leave Northern 42/4 when drinks were taken after 14 overs. They had been 34/1 after the seventh over but they added only eight more runs at the cost of the wickets of Marshall, Mark Bailey and Matthew Hart before drinks.Wickets fell at 34, 35 and 36 and by drinks Franklin had 2-25 from seven overs, having bowled six overs for seven runs, and Gillespie had an opening spell of 2-14 from six overs.Walker then cut down the Northern middle order, removing Hamish Marshall and Grant Bradburn, both for six, to leave them 48/5 and 53/6. There was an uncanny rider to the match in the fact five Northern batsmen were out for six.Wellington had Northern 59/8 after 25 overs and were ready to read the last rites over the innings but the corpse was not yet lifeless.Robbie Hart, Northern’s captain, matched Bell by drawing together some shreds of lower order resistance and making them an effective, though finally futile rearguard action.He stayed at the wicket for 70 minutes to record the innings’ top score of 40 and she shared partnerships of 28 in 28 minutes with Tuffey, who made 17, and 40 in 24 minutes with Butler who had a six among his 10 runs.From that 59/8 at the end of the 25th over, Northern resisted a further 12 overs – for more than an hour – and added 68 runs for their last two wickets. There were only nine boundaries in the innings – eight fours and a six – and five of those were taken among those resilient late partnerships.The match should long since have been over. Wellington should have administered the coup de grace before the 30th over. Instead the match wandered on amid gathering gloom till Hart was out, bowled by Walker, in the 37th over and shortly after 8pm.Walker finished with 3-13 from 6.4 overs to complete a fine all-round performance.

Kevin Pietersen’s second ton in as many games ensured Dolphins made short work of a target of 168 as they cruised past Knights to notch a nine-wicket win with 20 balls to spare. On Wednesday in a win over Lions, Pietersen took 63 balls to reach triple-figures but only needed 45 balls on Friday as Dolphins sprinted toward victory with Pietersen’s unbeaten 100.Pietersen added 135 for the second wicket with Morne van Wyk with the wicketkeeper-batsman finishing on 34 not out. This came after an opening stand of 35 between van Wyk and Cameron Delport in which Delport scored 34 of the 35 runs, the other coming courtesy of a wide, before being dismissed by Ryan McLaren. A first-innings ton by Theunis de Bruyn was in vain as Pietersen’s opposite number on the Knights struck 100 off 55 balls before he was one of two wickets for Kyle Abbott. Opener Reeza Hendricks had given Knights a steady start with a run-a-ball 42 after they were asked to bat.Titans emerged with a four-wicket win over Lions in a tricky chase of 116. Quinton de Kock top-scored for Titans with 34 but the victory was secured thanks to a 33-run seventh-wicket stand between Graeme van Buuren and Chris Morris after their side was left in trouble at 84 for 6 in the 14th over.Aaron Phangiso took 3 for 19 to give Lions hope after a poor batting performance in which just two players reached double-figures. Captain Thami Tsolekile made 58 off 41 balls at No. 5, but received no support from the rest of the line-up and was eventually ninth man out. Chinaman bowler Tabraiz Shamsi finished with 3 for 20 while Morris and Lungi Ngidi took two wickets each.Cape Cobras fought back with a strong rally in the field to hold on for a five-run win over Warriors in Paarl. Opener Richard Levi top-scored with 52 off 37 to lay a platform for a total of 140 for 6 after Cobras were sent in. Andrew Birch and JJ Smuts took two wickets each as Warriors used nine bowlers.In reply, Warriors were 100 for 1 thanks to a 79-run second-wicket stand between Colin Ackermann and Colin Ingram but the wicket of Ingram unsettled the chase. Still, Warriors looked to be headed toward a win at the start of the 19th over with Ackermann at the crease on 58 and the score 124 for 2 with 17 needed for victory.Dane Paterson then took two in two balls to start the over before a four by Ackermann off the final ball meant Warriors needed 10 off six balls. Wayne Parnell came to the rescue for Cobras, taking two wickets in three balls – the second of which was Ackermann’s for 64 – with another dot in between to leave Warriors needing 10 off three with two new batsmen at the crease. A run-out followed on the next ball before the final two deliveries resulted in a two and a single by Jerry Nqolo and they fell short by five runs.

Everton are set to have both Abdoulaye Doucoure and Demarai Gray available for their Premier League meeting with league leaders Manchester City at Goodison Park on Saturday evening.

What’s the latest?

According to Toffees boss Frank Lampard, the duo are back in training and are in contention. The 43-year-old said: “With Doucoure and Gray, they’re both training with us and in the squad. The issue for me is if they start. I’ll have to decide whether they’re ready to start. But it’s good to have them back”

Doucoure is yet to feature under Lampard with the Frenchman’s last appearance coming in the 1-0 defeat to Aston Villa whilst Gray missed the 3-0 win over Leeds United and the 2-0 defeat to Southampton last Saturday.

Fans will be ecstatic

With Everton still very much in a relegation battle, having as many key players available for the remainder of the campaign as possible will be crucial for their hopes of avoiding a first-ever Premier League relegation.

freshpress-quiz ]

Lampard’s side are currently 16th and two points clear of the drop zone. However, they do boast games in hand on numerous sides in and around the bottom six.

Although Saturday’s opponents will be the clear favourites, having both Doucoure and Gray available will be a major boost for the Toffees in the long term.

This season has been rather stop-start for Doucoure, with the 29-year-old making 16 league appearances having suffered two separate injury-related month-long absences this campaign.

However, the midfielder faces no guarantees of an instant return to the starting lineup as he now faces a squad congested with options in the middle of the park.

FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast. Subscribe FootballFanCast General Stay ahead in the world of football analysis, commentary, and fan insights with FootballFancast.

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Allan is available once again as well as both Donny van de Beek and Dele Alli arriving since the Frenchman was sidelined whilst Andre Gomes has also been in and out of the side of late.

As for Gray, the winger has certainly exceeded expectations since his move from Bayer Leverkusen in the summer. The 25-year-old has scored six goals and registered three assists in 24 appearances across all competitions, making the Englishman one of the Toffees’ most potent goal-threats.

This will be particularly key for Lampard as he looks to steady the ship on the blue side of Merseyside, with Everton keeping just one clean sheet in their last 14 games across all competitions and most likely in need of goal scorers to ensure victories.

In other news: Lampard axes 0-goal flop, “tireless” £48k-p/w ace starts: Predicted Everton XI vs Manchester City

It will be an uphill task for Laxman to lead an inexperienced Hyderabad side © AFP

Captain VVS Laxman, Arjun Yadav, Pragyan Ojha and Daniel Manohar will be the only four Hyderabad players with an experience of more than 10 first-class matches going into the Ranji Trophy. Hyderabad have been reduced to this situation after almost all of their team defected to the Indian Cricket League (ICL). D Ravi Teja (5 matches), Praneet Arjun (3), Anoof Pai (2), Amol Shinde (2) are the other players with any experience at first-class level.Even Laxman, expected to play Tests for India, might be available for only two games, away matches against Bengal and Punjab. Yadav was appointed the vice-captain for the season. Hyderabad will hope Teja and Arjun build up on their strong debuts last season: Teja, a right-hand opening batsman, scored an 84 against Maharashtra and Arjun, right-arm medium-pacer took four Mumbai wickets in his first showing.Squad: VVS Laxman (captain), Arjun Yadav, DB Ravi Teja, S Daniel Manohar, S Anoof Pai, Amol Shinde, Habeeb Ahmed (wk), Pragyan Ojha, Praneet Arjun, SM Shoaib, Ashwin Yadav, A Lalith Mohan, Vishal Sharma, Mohammad Ahmed Shakeer, Danny Dereck Prince

A successful Ranji Trophy season could help RP Singh make a comeback to the national side © AFP

Uttar Pradesh
Any premiership coach will tell you the season after winning the championship is the toughest. Uttar Pradesh should keep that in mind, especially because their success was built around natural talent and not systems, unorthodox methods and not planning. Last season turned into a fairytale where they surprised everybody and probably themselves too. Mohammad Kaif, their captain for the latter half of the season, conjured up innovative ways to stun team after team, and led them to their first Ranji Trophy title. Many teams will anticipate their out-of-the-box strategies and moreover, the lead cast from 2005-06 – Kaif and Suresh Raina currently in South Africa – will miss at least the start of the season.UP will once again depend on youth, despite having the grand old trinity of Ashish Winston Zaidi, Gyanendra Pandey, and Rizwan Shamshad. Their bowling looks stronger than last year with Rudra Pratap Singh adding variety to a line-up that includes Shalabh Srivastava, Praveen Kumar, and Piyush Chawla. Kumar’s ability to play cameos anywhere in the order – as he did last season – will continue to be a bonus.The hostel system – a unique method of nurturing school kids – continues to churn out a major chunk of their talent and if UP can add a modicum of method to their resources, they will be the team to beat at the business end of the season.What they did last season
From having four points after four matches and facing relegation, UP produced a spectacular turnaround to beat Hyderabad, Andhra, and Mumbai to reach the final. They continued their surprise-tactics in the title clash as well and opened the batting with Kumar, a strategy that proved crucial to the final outcome. Kumar responded with an upper-cut off his first ball and scored 48 off 55 balls, an innings which demoralised Bengal’s bowlers. They claimed the trophy on the basis of their first-innings lead. Raina, with 620 runs at 68.88 was third on the overall run-scorers’ list; Kumar, with 41 wickets at 23.97, was second in the charts and he also scored 368 runs. The duo, along with Chawla, was among three of the top performers of the Ranji trophy last season.Men to watch
RP Singh will have the most at stake. He’s the closest to national selection as far as the World Cup goes and a smashing start to the season could pave a way for his comeback. India will not be playing home Tests before the end of the Ranji season and that also gives Chawla another complete season to develop his skills and prove that he is indeed India’s next quality spinner. Another promising young batsman is left-hand opener and former U-19 captain, Ravikant Shukla.

Zaheer Khan has left Baroda to join Mumbai © AFP

Baroda
Baroda, never one of the fancied teams from West Zone, have slowly but steadily built a team that must be taken seriously at all levels. Yet, as is so often the case, all the good work has been undone by forces beyond the control of the team management and the Baroda Cricket Association. Irfan Pathan, one of Baroda’s key players, is unavailable to them because of India duties, and Zaheer Khan, who has been a stand-out performer at the domestic level, has moved to Mumbai.Instead of moaning about what might have been, Dashrat Pardeshi, the former Baroda left-arm spinner and currently chairman of the selection committee, is looking at kick-starting the rebuilding process, and using this as an opportunity to strengthen other areas of his team. “If you go into the past Zaheer [Khan] was our main strike weapon, along with Rakesh Patel,” he told . “Our bowling strength in the last five years has depended on medium-pacers, and they have proved their worth. Now that this is weakened we are strengthening the batting and spinning departments.”Pardeshi went on to make a critical point. “Selection on potential and future prospects is fine at the Under-19 level. But at this level you have to take into account more than that,” he explained. “Now that the money factor comes into it as well – the players are paid well for each Ranji match, you have to take into account performances in local tournaments, past Ranji matches and other important matches, not just potential.” With this in mind Baroda are looking to pack their team with batsmen and allrounders.What they did last season
Having topped their group in the league phase of the Ranji Trophy with 19 points, Baroda went into their semifinal against Bengal, at Kolkata, with high hopes. But their batsmen failed in the first innings, with only a century from Kiran Powar pushing the score up to 241. Bengal responded with a mammoth 619 – Subhomoy Das, Deep Dasgupta and Lakshmi Rattan Shukla all scoring hundreds, ending the match as a contest. Baroda’s batting once again let them down in the second innings, and when the match ended they were on 252 for 8 and lucky not to have been beaten outright.Men to watch
With their team weakened Baroda have looked to induct players from the Under-22 level. These include Ketan Panchal and Pinal Shah, the wicketkeeper, who has already played for India U-19. Broadly, Baroda have gone in for a flavour of youth, but their core still remains the veterans – Jacob Martin and Connor Williams, the top-order batsmen, and the likes of Ajit Bhoite. With Ashok Mankad, that wily old fox, as coach, you can expect that no team will take Baroda lightly and get away with it.

Rohit Sharma is the only Mumbai batsman on the fringe of Indian selection © AFP

Mumbai
Mumbai have won the Ranji Trophy so many times more than anyone else that it is difficult not to peg them as one of the favourites. Amol Muzumdar, a veteran of 13 domestic seasons, has been chosen to lead this season, in place of Nilesh Kulkarni, the left-arm spinner, who will focus on his bowling.Mumbai have a new coach as well. Pravin Amre is well aware of the modern game and its demands, while being firmly rooted in the old style of Mumbai cricket. In recent years there has been talk of a decline in the lofty standards of Mumbai batsmanship – built on the premise that you put an extremely high premium on your wicket. It is this attitude, the mentality, that Amre is aiming to re-instill in this team. “See any team at the start of the season begins with an aim of winning the Ranji Trophy. It’s no different with us,” Amre told Cricinfo. “What makes me really positive is the fact that the selectors, the captain and the coach are all working in one direction. While we’re looking at developing youngsters and promoting them we’re also taking into account the important role the seniors play.” When asked what the primary focus would be, the coach said, “The batting department has to click. That’s crucial. We need to focus a lot on skill training, and that’s what I’ll be doing.”The one thing that has held Mumbai in good stead in the recent past, however, is the manner in which the team has fought back in a crisis. The lower order – especially the likes of Ramesh Powar, Sairaj Bahutule (now with Maharashtra) and Vinayak Samant have chipped in with vital runs when the top order has stumbled. The challenge for the team, though, is in the medium-pace department. With seniors Ajit Agarkar and Zaheer Khan away on national duty, and Avishkar Salvi not in the squad for the first two matches, it provides an opportunity for someone like Kshemal Waingankar, who will be making his Ranji debut, a chance to prove himself.What they did last season
When Mumbai topped their group in the league phase with 16 points and set themselves up for a home semi-final at the Wankhede Stadium against UP, there was widespread hope that an outright win would pitchfork them into the final. There was an outright win alright, but it was for UP, by five wickets, as Mumbai’s batsmen failed to fire in either innings. Once the home of Indian batsmanship, Mumbai did not have anyone in the top six who had represented India. Knocked out in the semi-final, they were forced to lick their wounds, only taking consolation from the fact that they had lost to the eventual champions.Men to watch
There was a time when Mumbai was bursting with talent ready to force its way into the Indian team. At the moment, though, there’s really only one man on the fringe, and that’s Rohit Sharma, the middle-order batsman. For over a year now he has caught the eye with his stylish stroke play, but when he had the chance to make it count – in the Challenger Series – he could not make the most of it, coming up with two cameos but no innings of substance. Still, it is he that opposition teams will worry about, apart of course from the ever-prolific Muzumdar, despite no longer being the scary force he once was.