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Ranji Trophy - Super League 2009-2010 - Discussion thread


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Baroda confident of stopping Karnataka Irfan Pathan believes he has the men with mettle to halt Karnataka’s advance in the Ranji Trophy Super League. More... Baroda confident of stopping Karnataka Special Correspondent VADODARA: Irfan Pathan believes he has the men with mettle to halt Karnataka’s advance in the Ranji Trophy Super League. “Karnataka is playing very well, but from what I saw in our last two games, we can stop them,” said the India all-rounder. Captaining Baroda for the second Group B match in a row, he leads a squad yet to collectively perform as a group to justify the experience and talent. With three points from three drawn league games, the home team takes on in-form Karnataka at the Motibaug stadium where two wickets have been prepared for the four-day tie. Baroda conceded the first innings lead in two out of three Super League games so far, so Pathan’s optimism is based on bowling strengths in the fourth game starting Tuesday against the Group B topper (17 points off four matches). Munaf Patel’s wicket-taking abilities make him a match-winner in domestic cricket, so going by Pathan’s assertion of playing three seamers, the host may opt for a sporting track. Upper hand Karnataka holds the upper hand from the outset, young tearaway Abhimanyu Mithun troubling batsmen with raw pace and complemented by experienced R. Vinay Kumar operating from the other end. Baroda’s batting will be on test against the Karnataka pace duo, on a Motibaug wicket generally lively even on the fourth day. The versatile S. Aravind and veteran Sunil Joshi are other options captain Robin Uthappa can depend on for breakthroughs. The visitors are high on confidence, following the huge victory over Maharashtra by an innings and 128 runs in the previous away match. Coach Sharath Kumar stressed on the importance of focussing session by session, when asked about the law of averages catching up with the performers in his squad. Prolific Karnataka crossed the 500-run mark in back-to-back games against Bengal and Maharashtra when Rahul Dravid was away on India duty. Centuries from K. Pawan, G. Satish, Amit Verma, C. Gautam ensuring a cushion of runs for the bowlers to play attacking cricket. The teams (from): Karnataka: Robin Uthappa (capt), K. Pawan, G. Satish, Amit Verma, Manish Pandey, B. Akhil, Sunil Joshi, R. Vinay Kumar, S. Aravind, A. Mithun, C. Gautam, Stuart Binny, K.P. Appanna, Ryan Ninan, Udit Patel. Coach: Sanath Kumar. Baroda: Irfan Pathan (capt), Connor Williams, Satyajit Parab, Jacob Martin, Azhar Bilakhia, Yusuf Pathan, Pinal Shah, Munaf Patel, Ajitesh Argal, Swapnil Singh, Rakesh Solanki, Sankalp Vohra, Ketan Panchal, Murtuza Vahora, Shatrunjay Gaekwad. Coach: Paras Mhambrey.

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It is quite annoying to see Irfan giving all these statements recently. He should concentrate more on his bowling instead of making the big talk in the media nowadays. He cannot return with his talks but can only do so by virtue of his performance. He has prove himself better than most other bowlers in the domestic lineup. If he cannot do so and cannot improve his speed, it is better that he keeps his mouth shut for now.

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Tall order for Maharashtra as form points towards UP Armed with 12 points from four matches, UP will start favourites against Maharashtra when the two sides lock horns from Tuesday. If numbers aren’t suggestive of the visitors’ superiority, then sample this. In what was a team effort, UP decimated Delhi in Lucknow last week. More... Tall order for Maharashtra as form points towards UP Mumbai, November 30, 2009 First Published: 23:40 IST(30/11/2009) Last Updated: 23:41 IST(30/11/2009) Maharashtra faces its biggest test of the season as it takes on formidable Uttar Pradesh; home team’s hopes relies on changed surface and new faces Armed with 12 points from four matches, UP will start favourites against Maharashtra when the two sides lock horns from Tuesday. If numbers aren’t suggestive of the visitors’ superiority, then sample this. In what was a team effort, UP decimated Delhi in Lucknow last week. Parvinder Singh slammed his second ton of the season and Tanmay Srivastava his first. As expected, India seamers Praveen Kumar and RP Singh produced tidy spells to share six wickets between them. The struggling Maharashtra team will live on hope that a change in the pitch and new faces in the team would help them salvage some pride in their third home game. In the fourth match of the season out of sorts Maharashtra takes on a formidable Uttar Pradesh in the Ranji Trophy Super League. For the home team it will be a litmus test as they will have to produce something special even if they want to draw the match. The task of Maharashtra’s top-order is cut out as they will have to counter a bowling attack which has bowlers like Praveen Kumar, RP Singh, Sudeep Tyagi and leg-spinner Piyush Chawala. The batting department also has top players like skipper Mohammad Kaif and Suresh Raina. For Maharashtra, the performance of the top- order, has been a major let down. Maharashtra, which has batted first during its two Ranji home matches, managed to score only 284 runs in 101.1 overs in the two innings. Against Bengal the team was bundled out for 179 in 61.2 overs, whereas against Karnataka the score was a paltry 105 in 39.5 overs. The biggest problem for Maharashtra has been surviving the first session, but even after the coach’s repeated comments about batsmen’s lack of application, they have not shown any improvement. For the team there will be no more devil that had been haunting them in the past two matches at home. The match will be played on a different pitch instead of the one on which Maharashtra suffered two humiliating defeats — against Bengal and Karnataka). The pitch on which the match will be played has been used only once and that was during the West Zone T-20 match between Baroda and Gujarat. For both the visiting team and the home team the surface would be alien. It would be interesting to see how the Maharashtra batsman ‘apply’ after the change in the surface. The groundsmen at Poona Club were busy taking off the grass from the pitch in the presence of team manager Pandurang Salgaonkar (see image), who is also in-charge of pitch preparation. UP coach Gyanendra Pandey said that the surface looks good for batting. Maharashtra coach Shaun Williams, who didn’t talk much about the pitch, hinted that there will be three changes in the team. The Maharashtra coach was clear about one move. Ameya Shirikhande, who has been woefully out of form, will be replaced by Sangram Atitkar. Left-arm seamer Jitendra Patil is all set to make his debut but whom he will replace is still unclear. The coach also mentioned the names of two other players — all-rounder Ranjit Chavan and leg-spinner Digambar Waghmare. "Changes will be made. That’s for sure. But we will decide the playing XI on Tuesday morning," said Williams. For Maharashtra the task is monumental and once again the start would be crucial. "Application is the key, whatever we do first — batting or bowling," said Williams. The coach has a point but going by the team’s performance so far, it doesn’t look like the team is actually showing what the coach wants them to and that is ‘application’. While, Maharashtra would like to play safe and earn some points, UP will surely go for the kill given the team’s strength, which has a lot of depth in both batting and bowling.

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When it is sure than Ishant will not be a part of the final playing 11 against SL, why hasnt he been released to join the Delhi ranji team? Some wickets on a lively track will do him a world of good ahead of the t20 and ODI series in Lanka ( if the selectors select him). With there being no bowling coach in the Indian team, I dont know what wll he gain by warming the bench. What better way to regain the form than to play domestic first class cricket and help his home team do well.

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Lively Pitch? Saurashtra at one stage were 101/1 after 16 overs' date=' now 150/3 after 30 overs, the Delhi bowlers are getting carted. The run machine Pujara is in.[/quote'] The pitch at the Roshan Ara Ground in Delhi during the cold months of December and January does have something for the fast bowlers. Historically pacers have always done well here. Even for local club matches, batting is always tricky. As for the current ranji match, the reports suggested Nehra was going to play and hence Delhi team wanted to have a grassy pitch. But looking at the scorecard, Nehra isnt playing and hence they might have shaved off all the grass last evening. BTW the last time these two team met here 2 years ago, Pujara scored a fantastic 148* in the 4th innings to save the match for his team.
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Ranji Trophy: Agarkar, Salvi rattle Hyderabad Ajit Agarkar and Aavishkar Salvi claimed five wickets between themselves as defending champions Mumbai reduced Hyderabad to 223 for 7 on the first day of their Ranji Trophy Super League Group A match, at the Rajiv Gandhi International stadium, in Hyderabad. More... Ranji Trophy: Agarkar, Salvi rattle Hyderabad December 01, 2009 21:25 IST Ajit Agarkar and Aavishkar Salvi claimed five wickets between themselves as defending champions Mumbai reduced Hyderabad to 223 for 7 on the first day of their Ranji Trophy Super League Group A match, at the Rajiv Gandhi International stadium, in Hyderabad. Agarkar ripped through the top order, removing both openers P Shanshank Nag (8) and D Rushi Raj (15), to leave the hosts struggling at 24 for 2 after nine overs. Salvi then joined the party and got rid off Anirudh Singh (4), trapping him in front of the wicket. Ambati Rayudu (27) and Abhinav Kumar (35) tried to steady the ship and put up a crucial 57-run partnership before Abhishek Nayar sent the former packing in the 31st over. Agarkar then claimed his third wicket, dismissing Abhinav, to break the back of the hosts. Ibrahim Khaleel (35) and Syed Quadri (48 not out) then joined hands and forged a 73-run stand, but Ramesh Powar broke the partnership when he had Khaleel trapped in front of the wicket. When stumps were drawn, M Praneet Arjun (8) and Quadri (48) were unbeaten. Karnataka eye big total Vadodara: Manish Pandey and G Satish remained on course for individual centuries as Karnataka's top order fired in unison to guide them to a commanding 335 for 3 against Baroda on the opening day of the Ranji Trophy Super League Group B match. Put into bat, Karnataka's top order made merry on a batting beauty, with Robin Uthappa [ Images ] (58), G Satish (94 not out) and Manish Pandey (93 not out) helping themselves to easy runs. Uthappa and K B Pawan (14) gave Karnataka a brisk start before Munaf Patel [ Images ] breached Pawan's defence when the score was 44. The loss of his opening partner had no apparent effect on Uthappa, who played his natural aggressive game in Satish's reassuring company. The duo had raised 61 runs when Uthappa fell to Ketan Panchal. Satish then added 55 runs with Amit Verma (33), who fell to Irfan Pathan [ Images ] in the 46th over. The hosts did not get another chance to celebrate. Known for his hard-hitting batting, Manish batted with gay abandon while Satish was impregnable in his defence. Satish faced 238 balls for his unbeaten 94, which included 11 hits to the fence, while Manish needed just 147 balls and was seven runs from a century after hitting 10 fours and a couple of sixes. Saurashtra make a strong start New Delhi [ Images ]: Opener Chirag Pathak (138) struck a century before Pradeep Sangwan's three-wicket burst helped Delhi bowl out Saurashtra for 328 on the opening day of their Ranji Trophy Super League Group B match. In reply, hosts Delhi were 22 for no loss with Ankur Julka (7) and Aditya Jain (15) at the crease at stumps. At one stage, Saurashtra were comfortably placed at 261 for four, with Pathak and run-machine Cheteshwar Pujara [ Images ] going great guns. The duo added 160 runs for the fourth wicket before Rajat Bhatia broke the stand. Delhi fought back well and got itself into the match in the last session of the day, taking the remaining six wickets. The dramatic collapse began when Bhatia scalped Pathak, whose 164-ball knock had 21 boundaries and one shot over the ropes. Sangwan then produced a brilliant spell, taking the wickets of Pratik Mehta (8), Sandeep Jobanputra (4) and Jayesh Odedra (zero) in successive overs. Parvinder Awana (2/63) and Pawan Suyal (2/86) took two wickets each. Arun Karthik leads Tamil Nadu's charge Sambalpur: Tamil Nadu rode on an unbeaten 118 by Arun Karthik to pile 323 for five against Orissa on the first day of their four-day Ranji Trophy Super League match at the Vir Surendra Sai stadium. In an undefeated sixth-wicket partnership, Arun and Chandrasekhar Ganapathy (52 not out) shared 103 runs as Tamil Nadu took the Day 1 honours after an erratic start. With their opener Murali Vijay and former captain Subramaniam Badrinath [ Images ] busy with national duty, Tamil Nadu struggled to have a good partnership in the middle as Orissa kept taking wickets at regular intervals. Former India [ Images ] seamer Debashish Mohanty gave Orissa the first breakthrough and went on to trouble the Tamil Nadu batsmen with his tidy spells. He finished with two for 41 from his 15 overs. Spinner Dhiraj Singh also took two wickets and Pravanjan Mullick claimed one to put the brakes on Tamil Nadu before Ganapathy and Arun forged a fruitful stand. Tamil Nadu skipper Dinesh Karthik [ Images ] could manage only one before being adjudged leg before wicket. Arun, however, remained unruffled at the other end; his knock came off 230 balls and included 16 boundaries. Ganapathy sizzled with three sixes and three boundaries in his 94-ball knock. Five star Gony wrecks Himachal Mohali: Manpreet Gony emerged the wrecker-in-chief with a 5 for 47 haul as Punjab [ Images ] bundled out Himachal Pradesh [ Images ] for a paltry 197 on the opening day of the Ranji Trophy Super League Group A match. The Punjab pace trio of Gony, Love Ablish (3/57) and Harmeet Singh (2/56) shared the spoils. Punjab, however, fumbled in their reply and lost both openers before finishing on 37 for 2 at stumps, with Uday Kaul (15) and Taruwar Kohli (6) in the middle. It was Ablish who knocked the daylights out of Himachal with his triple strikes that completely unhinged the visitors. Gony then took over, running through the Himachal middle order, before Vinit Indulkar (60 off 139 balls) and Kuldeep Diwan (56 not out off 96 balls) put up some resistance with gritty half-centuries. The team in dire straits at 77 for 6, both added 87 runs to give some semblance of respectability to the score. Gony broke the partnership, dismissing Indulkar, and Himachal could add another 34 runs before their first innings folded. Punjab openers Ravi Inder Singh (13) and Vishwas Bhalla (1) failed to give the hosts a good start and fell in the final session. Gujarat shot out for 91 Valsad: Santosh Saxena, Sanjay Bangar and Shailender Gehlot shared eight wickets among them as Railways bundled out Gujarat for a paltry 91 runs on the opening day of their Ranji Trophy Super League Group B match. Saxena (3/19), Bangar (3/17) and Gehlot (2/21) produced an impressive mix of pace and aggression as the famed Gujarat batting line-up collapsed like a deck of cards in 58.2 overs at the Sardar Vallabhbhai Patel stadium. In reply, Railways lost opener Faiz Fazal (13) to pacer Siddharth Trivedi before closing the day on 61 for 1. V Cheluvuraj (10) and Bangar (31) were in the middle at stumps, as the visitors looked set for a huge first innings lead. Earlier, put into bat, nine Gujarat players failed to touch double figures, Timil Patel (31) and Siddharth Trivedi (10) emerging the exceptions. Saxena started the demolishing act, claiming the wicket of opener Jay Desai, who faced 82 balls for his seven runs. The Railway pacer struck again and sent back Niraj Patel (0) in his next over. Gehlot then took over the reigns from Saxena and earned the prized scalp of captain Parthiv Patel (8) and Bhavik Thakur for nought in the same over. Right-arm medium pacer Sanjib Sanyal also joined the party and cut short the stay of Rujul Bhatt (9) to leave Gujarat tottering at 64 for 5. Saxena, in his second spell, ended the challenge of Timil (31), who was the team's highest scorer. Once Timil departed, Bangar got the better off the Gujarat tailenders, scalping the wickets of Vimal Tandel, Siddharth Trivedi and Hitesh Majumdar. Praveen Kumar scalps six Pune: A six-wicket haul by Indian speedster Praveen Kumar helped visitors Uttar Pradesh dismiss Maharashtra for 292 on the first day of the Ranji Trophy Group B match at the Pune Club ground. Praveen took over after medium pacer Bhuvneshwar Kumar drew early blood, removing Maharashtra skipper Harshad Khadiwale for 26, to justify skipper Mohammad Kaif's decision to bowl first. He ended up with figures of 6 for 68 in 22.2 overs. Left armer R P Singh took two wickets, while leg spinner Piyush Chawla and Kumar accounted for a wicket apiece. For Maharashtra, G B Gaikwad top-scored with 63 and three others made scores of over 45 but failed to capitalise on their starts as the hosts crumbled from a comfortable 151-2 to 292 all out. S Atitkar (55) and K Jadhav (49) added 106-runs for the third wicket after the hosts had lost two early wickets, while Gaikwad and wicketkeeper R H Motwani (57) added 107-runs for the seventh wicket.

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Delhi hunt in a pack A weakened attack in the absence of Ashish Nehra, who pulled out citing an upset stomach, did little to further the skipper’s plans, as Chirag Pathak and Cheteshwar Pujara ensured the visitors put on 328 before being bowled out. More... Delhi hunt in a pack Anam Arsalan, Hindustan Times New Delhi, December 01, 2009 First Published: 23:04 IST(1/12/2009) Last Updated: 23:05 IST(1/12/2009) Delhi skipper Virat Kohli was keen on exploiting the early morning conditions. With the coin answering his call, he put Saurashtra in at the Roshanara ground on Tuesday. A weakened attack in the absence of Ashish Nehra, who pulled out citing an upset stomach, did little to further the skipper’s plans, as Chirag Pathak and Cheteshwar Pujara ensured the visitors put on 328 before being bowled out. The Delhi bowlers, who couldn’t make an impression in the first two sessions, claimed six wickets in the last one, conceding just 67 runs. Pathak and Pujara batted effortlessly, and smashed the bowling to all ends of the park. Playing it safe, they kept their strokes along the ground, negating the chances of getting caught in the outfield. At lunch, the duo had added 49 for the fourth wicket, which saw Saurashtra touch 130 for three in 30 overs. The only six of the innings came off Pathak’s bat. Batting on 92, he went for the big one and dispatched a Rajat Bhatia delivery over the mid-wicket fence. Then, a single off Parwinder Awana saw him reach his ton in the 41st over of the day. Well set, the two batsmen seemed in no mood to give up until Bhatia struck at the stroke of tea, trapping danger man Pujara leg before on 83. But his 160-run partnership with opener Pathak had put the visitors back on track. The situation improved for the hosts after tea, with Bhatia claiming another big wicket. Kohli snapped up an edge off Pathak’s willow and he went back after a rewarding 138. The scoreboard read 274-5. With Pathak gone, Delhi went in for the kill and the man who could have halted their charge was Ravindra Jadeja. But Mithun Manhas didn’t give him a chance and claimed him for 29. From 261 for four at tea, Saurashtra plummeted to 328 all out — a massive change in fortune for both teams. In the morning, Pawan Suyal claimed Sitanshu Kotak and Jayadev Shah in the same over, but it was Awana who utilised the morning conditions to get the better of Sagar Jogiyani (26). At stumps, Delhi were 22 without loss with Ankur Julka (7) and Aditya Jain (15) at the crease. More... ‘Dominating attacks comes naturally’: Chirag Pathak, Saurashtra opener Aditya Iyer Posted: Wednesday, Dec 02, 2009 at 0426 hrs New Delhi: Saurashtra’s Chirag Pathak plays a pull shot during his innings of 138 against Delhi at the Roshanara ground on Tuesday. Left-handed opener Chirag Pathak explains the dynamics behind his aggressive century against Delhi The half nelson is a counter-attacking move in wrestling, where the wrestler, under pressure, uses the strength of the opponent against him. On Tuesday, Chirag Pathak put on display its cricket version. Asked to bat on a green top and with the ball whizzing around throughout Day One, the left-handed opener countered fire with fire, displaying his full array of attacking strokes while sending Virat Kohli’s side on a leather hunt during his 138-run knock in the Group B encounter of the Ranji Trophy. Just off the commotion-filled streets of old Delhi, the Roshanara Cricket Club lies amidst serene greenery. The 22-year old batsman from Saurashtra brought the 134-year-old ground to life with 26 boundaries, which included two sixes, to bring up his second century in as many matches. Playing in only his second season at the domestic level, Pathak has finally made heads turn in his direction with two half-centuries and two centuries in four matches, emerging from the shadows of players like Cheteshwar Pujara and Ravindra Jadeja. With a century against Mumbai in the 2008-09 season and scores of 31, 50, 90, 118 and 138 in five innings so far, Pathak credits his success to his uncomplicated batting approach. “This is how I’ve always been batting. Whether it is the four-day game or a T20, I will look to smash the ball around,” Pathak told Sportline at the end of the day’s play. Coached by Mahendra Singh Chauhan and Debu Mishra at the Nawanagar Cricket Association in Jamnagar, Gujarat, Pathak says he is a man without plans. “I do not like spending time pointlessly in the middle. If the ball is there to be hit, I will go for it. I do not like planning,” he said. “There was genuine swing right through the day, but everytime I thought I was getting stuck in a rut, I stepped out and stepped on the gas,” Pathak said, adding, “If we play slowly, one ball is sure to get through the defences. Instead, I prefer to call the shots when I’m in the middle. Dominating bowling attacks comes naturally to me.” Although his fellow team mates constantly compare his explosive nature up the order to that of India opener Virender Sehwag, Pathak hopes to play his cricket like Brian Lara, his role model. “I have been a fan of Lara right from the beginning. He had a simple approach to the game,” he said. While bowling attacks around the country will soon be strategising for his wicket early in the innings, Pathak feels his “Plan B will be to clear the ropes.”

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Agarkar blast leaves Hyderabad in trouble After playing for nearly a decade, the all-rounder tag at least rings true for Agarkar when he plays with the Mumbai crest. More... Agarkar blast leaves Hyderabad in trouble Devendra Pandey Tags : Kapil Dev, Ajit Agarkar Posted: Wednesday, Dec 02, 2009 at 0058 hrs Hyderabad: In the initial years of his international career, Ajit Agarkar was sometimes looked upon, perhaps in hope, as a probable replacement for Kapil Dev. But the Mumbai pacer never matched the consistency of India’s greatest all-rounder. After playing for nearly a decade, the all-rounder tag at least rings true for Agarkar when he plays with the Mumbai crest. Agarkar (199 runs) is the second-highest run-getter for Mumbai this season after skipper Wasim Jaffer and has taken 10 wickets in five matches. On Tuesday, after Mumbai lost the toss yet again and had to field, they were forced to bank once more on the experience of Agarkar. Despite Mumbai’s dominance, Hyderabad successfully regrouped from the early jolts. At stumps, the home side were 223 for 7 in 90 overs and had managed to fend off their opponents’ tight bowling to avoid a complete collapse. Ahmed Quadri is batting on 48 off 126 balls while MP Arjun is on eight runs. When the sun started its journey from East to West, Agarkar had started his assault on the inexperienced Hyderabad batting line-up. Opener Shashank Nag offered an easy caught-and-bowled chance to Agarkar while southpaw Rushi Raj couldn’t handle an in-coming delivery. Agarkar’s first spell of 9-3-17-2 set the tone for Mumbai and then it was the turn of other pacers to take centrestage. Agarkar finished his day with three wickets but Mumbai still need three wickets before coming out to bat. Dhaval Kulkarni continued his second-season blues and it was pacer Avishkar Salvi who took charge. He found Anirudh Singh on the back-foot while replays showed the southpaw had hit the ball first and then the pad. With wickets falling at regular intervals, Ambati Rayudu and Abhinav Kumar fought bravely to tackle the Mumbai bowlers. From 31 for 3 at one stage, the pair took Hyderabad to safety by adding 55 runs for the fourth wicket. In his innings of 27, Rayudu played fearlessly and showcased some quality drives before Abhishek Nayar was adjudged plumb in front of the middle stump — one of the five lbw dismissals today. Abhinav tried to settle down but became Agarkar’s third victim. Ibrahim Khaleel and Ahmed Quadri played cautiously, giving no chance to spinners Ramesh Powar and Iqbal Abdulla. After adding a crucial 73 runs for sixth wicket, Khaleel was trapped by Ramesh Powar on back foot. Tailender Amol Shinde (23) tried his best to add some quick runs but his blade found the edge to Vinayak Samant off Salvi. Brief scores: Hyderabad 223 for 7 (Abhinav Kumar 35, Ahmed Quadri 48 not out, Ibrahim Khaleel 35; Ajit Agarkar 3/35, A Salvi 2/32) vs Mumbai.

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