Ranji Trophy, Super League, 2008-09

[Dravid]

never got to play each other btw, its called "supporting your team" ;) obi. its a big mis-match, but i stick to my team, unlike the canadian glory hog :D

[Dinx - the Jinx]

In the 50th over Badrinath is 90*, needing another 10 runs, with the target 13 away. I think what Salil is referring to is this: Tiwary to Karthik, 5 wides, wayward delivery bowled well wide of leg stump, five wides. Did he do that on purpose to deny Badri the hundred? I don't see the harm in allowing a team mate to get a hundred if you know your gonna win. But realistically Badri shouldn't have even attempted it. At tea with a further 78 runs to get, Badri was 35*, which means he needed a further 65 runs out of 78 to get to his hundred. To give him the benefit of the doubt I don't think he was thinking along those lines earlier, only when maybe he got closer to the hundred these thoughts started coming to him.

Salil's objective of starting this thread is nt to bash Tiwary for bowling those wides. He is in fact bashing Badri for setting his eyes on a hundred and DK for helping cause by blocking all deliveries and not running easy singles. With the match well and truly in the kitty, whats wrong in DK helping a team mate to get to a much needed century, especcially a man like Badri who has done more than enough to be playing in the Indian test xi, but for some reason, not able to do yet. Like Zubin quoted - where was Salil when Dhony allowed Gauti and Yuvi to get to their centuries. Instead if Dhni has declared at that juncture, we might have atleast had a go at the English. Although it dint cost us the match, it definitely denied us victory, a rare white wash of a top team and few points at the ICC rankings... Same way when Yuvi allowed Sachin to get to his century by nt scoring once the target and sachin's century were at sight, we the chennai crowd at the stadium were morewhappy that we are going to see a Sachin 100 and not for a moment dint think it was unsportsmanlike or the match is getting bored cos of Yuvi's tactics. We were in fact happy and proud of Yuvi for doing that. And finally- why are we even discussing this thread, where the thread starter has vanished after seeing the reaction. By discussing this thread, I think we are unnecessarily giving respect to some mindless comments abot which the man who made the coment itself is not proud of and has vanished instead of defending his stand. Can somebody lock this thread please. ========================== Wish you all ICFers a very happy new year

[Shehezaada]

Salil's objective of starting this thread is nt to bash Tiwary for bowling those wides. He is in fact bashing Badri for setting his eyes on a hundred and DK for helping cause by blocking all deliveries and not running easy singles. With the match well and truly in the kitty, whats wrong in DK helping a team mate to get to a much needed century, especcially a man like Badri who has done more than enough to be playing in the Indian test xi, but for some reason, not able to do yet. Like Zubin quoted - where was Salil when Dhony allowed Gauti and Yuvi to get to their centuries. Instead if Dhni has declared at that juncture, we might have atleast had a go at the English. Although it dint cost us the match, it definitely denied us victory, a rare white wash of a top team and few points at the ICC rankings... Same way when Yuvi allowed Sachin to get to his century by nt scoring once the target and sachin's century were at sight, we the chennai crowd at the stadium were morewhappy that we are going to see a Sachin 100 and not for a moment dint think it was unsportsmanlike or the match is getting bored cos of Yuvi's tactics. We were in fact happy and proud of Yuvi for doing that. And finally- why are we even discussing this thread, where the thread starter has vanished after seeing the reaction. By discussing this thread, I think we are unnecessarily giving respect to some mindless comments abot which the man who made the coment itself is not proud of and has vanished instead of defending his stand. Can somebody lock this thread please. ========================== Wish you all ICFers a very happy new year

I think Tendulkar and Yuvraj were fine in doing what they were doing because the game was in the bag, and the target was by then pretty low. Tendulkar required maybe 8 off 16....and he was cruising towards a century before Yuvraj turned on the fireworks. The 2nd test at England I do NOT agree with, just like yourself. We could have won the match.

[Chandan]

Okay, let us have some Ranji News: Saurashtra set sights on big prize Cricinfo staff December 31, 2008 Cheteshwar Pujara has been one of Saurashtra's star performers © Cricinfo Ltd After making the Ranji Trophy semi-finals for the second year in a row, Saurashtra have set their sights on winning the tournament for the first time. Two of their youngsters, Cheteshwar Pujara and Ravindra Jadeja, have been among the stand-out performers of the season and Saurashtra coach Debu Mitra drew confidence from the amount of talent in the side. "I can't guarantee that we will win," he told DNA. "What I can say is we have the talent to do so, but everything depends on who performs better on a particular day. "Pujara, Jadeja, [Jaydev] Shah, [sandeep] Jobanputra are all good players and if they keep on performing, they will surely play Test cricket and we will also win our first Ranji Trophy title." Their next opponents are an in-form Mumbai, but they can take heart from their strong showing against Mumbai earlier in the season. "Saurashtra are the only team to have taken first-innings lead against Mumbai in the group league," former India and Saurashtra medium-pacer Karsan Ghavri, said. "So, if the batsmen manage to put up a score of around 450, Mumbai will be under pressure in semis." They have already shown the ability to handle pressure this season; first by beating Hyderabad in the final league game to make the quarter-finals ahead of defending champions Delhi (who were one-point behind when the last round of matches started), and with a stirring fightback against Karnataka to make the semi-finals (after falling behind by 116 runs in the first innings). Pujara starred in the quarter-final victory with a patient, unbeaten 112 on the final day. "My 189 against Punjab came off 182 balls and the 176 against Mumbai off 173," he told the Kolkata-based Telegraph. "But Monday (against Karnataka), my task was to stay at the crease for 90 overs." His solid technique had prompted comparisons with Rahul Dravid, a batsman Pujara had wanted to seek tips from during the quarter-final. Dravid was impressed with Pujara's performances and asked him to continue batting the way he was. Tendulkar, Zaheer included in Mumbai's semis squad Cricinfo staff December 30, 2008 The last time Sachin Tendulkar and Zaheer Khan played for Mumbai, the team won the title - in 2006-07, against Bengal © AFP Mumbai's march towards their 38th Ranji Trophy crown has been bolstered by the inclusion of Sachin Tendulkar and Zaheer Khan in the 15-man squad for their semi-final clash against Saurashtra. The match will be played in Chennai from January 4-7. The last time the duo played for Mumbai, the team won the title - in 2006-07, against Bengal. That was Pravin Amre's first year as Mumbai coach and he has pleasant memories of the campaign, which culminated in the 132-run win in the final at the Wankhede Stadium. Both players had an impact, Tendulkar scoring a vital first-innings century and Zaheer picking up nine wickets for the match. No wonder Amre was enthusiastic about their return to the side. "It will be a boost for our youngsters, who have already done well. Their presence will be highly motivating as the players will expect to do well along with them," he said. During the league phase of the current season, Tendulkar chipped in with advice at a crucial juncture. Mumbai had just returned after a disappointing performance against Saurashtra, where they had to fight to save the game after following on. It was a wake-up call and, with three games to go, they could not afford to relax. Back in town, after the England ODI series was cut short in the wake of the terror attacks in Mumbai, Tendulkar spent some valuable time with the team members ahead of their home tie against Hyderabad. "During one-to-one sessions the player is more open since there is more privacy and that is always more effective," said Amre. Subsequently every game Mumbai played ended in an outright victory. Despite being the best team, there are some pending issues, especially in the bowling department, where the early advantage has been squandered. Even in the quarter-finals, Himachal Pradesh were reeling at 75-5 but managed to reach 250 in their first innings and forced Mumbai to bat a second time, though the former champions had a 245-run lead. Amre feels that is where Zaheer's experience will prove crucial. "He will be like a role model, a big help in providing key inputs to the fast bowlers." The selectors have made three other changes to the 15-man squad for the last-four clash: Ankit Chavan replaces fellow left-arm spinner Iqabal Abdulla while Prafulla Waghela and Rahil Shaikh make way for Tendulkar and Zaheer. Wasim Jaffer remains captain. Squad: Wasim Jaffer ©, Sachin Tendulkar, Ajinkya Rahane, Sahil Kukreja, Amol Muzumdar, Rohit Sharma, Ajit Agarkar, Vinayak Samant (wk), Sairaj Bahutule, Ramesh Powar, Zaheer Khan, Dhawal Kulkarni, Abhishek Nayar, Usman Malvi and Ankit Chavan; Pravin Amre (coach) TN team for Ranji semifinals CHENNAI: The following cricketers have been selected in the Tamil Nadu squad for the Ranji Trophy semifinal match against Uttar Pradesh from January 4 to 7 at Nagpur: The Squad: Dinesh Karthik (capt. & wk), M. Vijay, Abhinav Mukund, K.B. Arun Karthick, S. Badrinath, S. Vidyut, S. Suresh Kumar, R. Ashwin, C. Suresh, L. Balaji, C. Ganapathy, V. Yomahesh, P. Amarnath, R. Prasanna, and K.H. Gopinath. Ranji Trophy final in Hyderabad Press Trust of India Tuesday, December 30, 2008 9:56 PM (New Delhi) The Ranji Trophy final will be held at the Rajiv Gandhi Stadium, Uppal, Hyderabad, it was announced by the Board of Control for Cricket in India on Tuesday. The final will be played from January 12 to 16, the BCCI statement said. The five-day tie to decide the domestic champions for the 2008-09 season would feature the winners of the two semi-finals to be held simultaneously from January 4-7. Mumbai the 37-time winners, boosted by the inclusion of India stalwarts Sachin Tendulkar and Zaheer Khan, are to take on West Zone rivals Saurashtra in one of the two semi-finals in Chennai. The other semi-final pits Tamil Nadu against Uttar Pradesh in Nagpur. This season the BCCI has organised all the Ranji Trophy matches at the knock-out stage at neutral venues to ensure that quality wickets are prepared for these ties instead of doctored ones to suit the home team's strengths, as was the norm in the past. Uttar Pradesh v Tamil Nadu, 1st semi-final, Nagpur RP Singh to miss Ranji semi-final Cricinfo staff January 2, 2009 RP Singh will miss out on a huge opportunity to impress the national selectors © AFP RP Singh, Uttar Pradesh's left-arm fast bowler, will miss the Ranji Trophy semi-final against Tamil Nadu due to a shoulder injury. RP had missed the quarter-final against Gujarat as well due to a pulled muscle, and this is a further setback to his opportunities of impressing the national selectors. RP has played three games in the tournament so far, taking ten wickets at an average of 37.10. His absence will be a blow to UP against a strong Tamil Nadu batting line-up, but coach Gyanendra Pandey was confident of his team's bowling resources even without RP. "We are confident of putting up a good show," he told the Indian Express. "It's not that we lack in bowling in RP's absence; we still have a good bowling attack and we won the last match without RP." With RP not around, the team will depend heavily on Praveen Kumar, who took five wickets in the first innings against Gujarat, and Bhuvaneshwar Kumar, who has been UP's leading bowler with 23 wickets at an average of 22.21. The semi-final, which will be played in Nagpur, starts on Saturday.

[Rajan]

after chennai chase, most teams are positive about 4th innings chase i dont know whether it helped directly or not, most captains and coaches would be pointing out about India's successful chase of 387, and especially the 160+ 5th wicket stand on the 5th day on a turning pitch. if you look at SA'S 414 or Saurashtra's 325, the saurashtra chase seems to be tougher because perth wicket was relatively very very flat. Karnataka had sunil joshi who had taken a baglful of wickets in the season and also some good wickets in the first innings. saurashtra adapted the right mixture of atta*** and defence. kotak did well to set the tempo and Ravindra Jadeja and Shah attacked where Pujara kept one end going. such self belief really augurs well for indian team.TN were extremely confident in chasing down the 225 and Vijay and Mukund took the Sehwag and Gambhir route and attacked well in the 10 overs before lunch setting the tone for the chase. they did not get in to shell playing for lunch. that helped them develop a momentum and carry the attack to the opposition camp. the 387 is almost as crucial as the eden gardens turnaround by Laxman & Dravid which laid the foundation for a great phase in India's journey from 2001 onwards. The 387 may also be talked in the same breath in the years to come by!

[msb1991]

Probably best for Uttar Pradesh, as RP Singh has been poor for them this season and an unfit RP Singh is an extremely poor bowler as demonstrated against South Africa.

[Chandan]

In the build-up to semi-final, here are some more Ranji news: An interview with Ravindra Jadeja Jadeja has impressed this season G Krishnan, Hindustan Times Chennai, January 03, 2009 First Published: 00:53 IST(3/1/2009) Last Updated: 00:58 IST(3/1/2009) After a long time, a genuine all-rounder is doing the rounds in Indian cricket. You cannot miss Ravindra Jadeja, who is a live wire on the field when not bowling or batting. The 20-year-old left-hander from Saurashtra is fifth in the list of run-getters (729 runs at 72.90) and second in the wicket-takers list behind Mohnish Parmar with 39 sticks. Excerpts from a chat with Jadeja ahead of Saurashtra’s Ranji semifinal against Mumbai: How important has this season been for you? It has been important because I've managed an all-round performance. My target is to play one more game of good cricket (here in the semifinal) after having got the opportunity. I wish to continue that form. You are always active on the field, with bat, ball or while fielding. How do you do keep yourself busy all the time? When batting, I try to concentrate 100 percent. If the ball is swinging or taking turn. I get used to the pitch and make adjustments accordingly. With the ball, if there is assistance to spinners, I flight it and try to maintain line and length. I try to give 100 percent every ball. Was it tough growing up in a small centre like Jamnagar or Rajkot? It was tough coming from a small centre. You have to first lay a platform. I played for India Under-19, in the IPL and went on India 'A' tours. I started gaining experience by playing against different players. With the U-19 trips, you get to know the overseas players. It has given me the confidence. Players have started emerging from Saurashtra and contributing to the team's success. We are realising the importance of playing Ranji Trophy and learn from its experience. Would you consider yourself a full-fledged all-rounder? Yes. In cricket, you have to excel in all departments. If you flop in one department, the confidence goes down. Being an all-rounder gives you the chance to come back and contribute in the other department. Your approach the semifinal? Last year, I did not play the semifinal as I was away for the under-19 World Cup. Saurashtra lost to Uttar Pradesh in the semis. We have learnt from our past mistakes and look to play positive, disciplined cricket. If we give 100 per cent, we can win. A Mitra forever to Saurashtra Arjun Sen New Delhi IN THIS day and age of video analysts and specialist coaches, comes a success story built on basics. A story scripted by two men who took a motley bunch of cricketers struggling in the lower reaches of India's domestic cricket circuit and transformed them into title challengers. In the winter of 2004, Saurashtra were the proverbial whipping boys, the team everyone loved to play, and beat. Five winters later, Saurashtra are gearing up for their second straight Ranji Trophy semifinal. For a team made up of players from all of four districts in Gujarat, Saurashtra's move up the country's domestic cricket pecking order has been nothing short of a fairytale. Skipper Jaydev Shah says as much. "It seems like just yesterday that we were struggling to keep pace in the Plate Division, trying our best not to finish last, and now here we are, two wins away from the title." So where did it all change for Saurashtra? "All of us owe this transformation to our coach Debu Mitra, he made us believe in ourselves, our abilities and made this team," Shah adds. Tell Mitra that, and all you get out of the 60-year-old coach is a fleeting smile. "I'm honoured that my players credit me with this success, but nothing would have been possible without each and every one of them," he says. On further probing, however, Mitra does admit that the cricket structure in Saurashtra isn't the most ideal to produce a challenging team. "The league in Saurashtra lasts all of 25 days. Comprising eight teams, this tournament was hardly a yardstick to judge players," Mitra says. "Most of the players would play only one game in the off-season, making the step-up to firstclass cricket very tough." Together with his trusted aide, and team trainer, Arjun Rana, Mitra set about, in the words of one of his players, 'the ABC of first-class cricket'. His teachings had an immediate effect. Saurashtra were Plate champions in his second season, and had narrowly lost to UP in an Elite Division semifinal by the fourth. "Unlike other teams, we don't have the 'laptop man' and a dedicated coach for every department. I am the batting, bowling and fielding coach of this team," Mitra says, the sarcasm evident. The happy ending might have escaped Mitra's men so far, but few will bet against them. It’s nice to be playing for Mumbai again: Zaheer S. Dinakar GETTING READY: Ramesh Powar (from left), Zaheer Khan, Abhishek Nayar and Ajit Agarkar — seen at the MAC ‘B’ Stadium on Friday —will form a formidable bowling line-up for Mumbai. Chennai: Zaheer Khan wants to keep things simple in 2009. “I just want to continue the way I bowled last year,†he said here on Friday. The year gone by was a triumphant one for Zaheer. More than his tally of wickets – 27 in nine Tests – the quality of his bowling and scalps demanded attention. He struck at the beginning of the innings, prised out batsmen with reverse swing and created pressure with his consistency. Zaheer also formed a potent left-right opening combination with the lanky Ishant Sharma. Being adjudged Man of the two-Test Series against England was just reward for some outstanding bowling by Zaheer. Fresh year The Ranji Trophy semifinal against Saurashtra — beginning at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium on Sunday — marks the start of a fresh year for the left-arm paceman. “It’s nice to be playing for Mumbai again after quite a while. The boys have done extremely well to get the team to this point. Hopefully, we will win the Ranji Trophy,†he said. Both Mumbai and Saurashtra had buzzing practice sessions at the MAC ‘B’ ground. Sachin Tendulkar — the maestro will bolster Mumbai in the last four duel — joined the team on Friday evening. Zaheer was excited at the prospect of playing with Tendulkar in a crucial Ranji match. He was, however, not willing to take the challenge from Saurashtra lightly. “We have been following the scores in the newspapers. Cheteshwar Pujara has been among big runs. Ravindra Jadeja has done well as an all-rounder. It should be a good match,†said Zaheer. Just three short of two hundred Test wickets — he has 197 scalps in 62 Tests at 34.04 — Zaheer asserted he was not looking at landmarks. “If milestones happen along the way, it is fine. But numbers are not on my mind.†An international career that began in 2000 – Zaheer sent down fast and furious yorkers then – is peaking now. The Zaheer of today consumes batsmen with seam and swing; he also changes his pace and angles cleverly. Zaheer admitted that shortening his run-up made him a better bowler. “This has helped me in maintaining my fitness and my length and line.†Tinge of green Pujara looked forward to the prospect of facing the crafty Zaheer at Chepauk. Curator K. Parthasarathy maintained that the pitch for the match would sport a tinge of green and Pujara could be tested by Zaheer & Co. The right-hander has a whopping 867 runs at 86.70 in Super League this year. His 112 not out enabled Saurashtra score a sensational win, chasing 325, against Karnataka in the quarterfinals in Mumbai. His runs have been scored at a creditable strike-rate of 72.12. “I want to deliver in all formats,†he said. Pujara’s four three-figure Ranji innings this year include a triple century. He seeks another hundred in the last four contest. Being close to selection in the Indian team is not weighing on his mind. On Pujara rest much of Saurashtra’s hopes.

[SachDan]

Ranji Trophy Semi Final: Mumbai vs Saurashtra, Chennai and TN vs UP, Nagpur David vs Goliath !! Mumbai bolstered by the inclusion of 'God of cricket' :adore::adore::adore: C'mon Mumbai :isalute:

[Lord]

David vs Goliath !! Mumbai bolstered by the inclusion of official 'God of cricket' :adore::adore::adore: C'mon Mumbai :isalute:

:two_thumbs_up:

[Shane]

x 2

[Holysmoke]

Where to watch?

[Chandan]

Preview of Semi-final Mumbai v Saurashtra, Chennai Tendulkar and Zaheer boost strong Mumbai side January 3, 2009 Match facts January 4-7, 2009 Start time 9.30am (0400 GMT) Can Cheteshwar Pujara take underdogs Saurashtra into the final? © Cricinfo Ltd Big Picture With experience, star value, history and mental edge on their side, Mumbai start as favourites but they will be looking forward to settling scores with Saurashtra, who have proved to be a hurdle in the last two years for the 37-time champions. Last season Mumbai were denied a semi-final berth after they failed to break the resistance built by Shitanshu Kotak. During the league phase this season, Mumbai were forced to follow on in Rajkot after three top-order Saurashtra batsmen recorded big centuries. That was the only game Mumbai came out second in their campaign. What makes Mumbai favourites is the presence of Sachin Tendulkar and Zaheer Khan. Mumbai won the championship when they last represented the team in the final of 2006-07 season. But Saurashtra have some spirited youngsters to counter Mumbai's might. Jaydev Shah, their captain, admitted Saurashtra faced a stiff challenge especially with the addition of Tendulkar and Zaheer, but he said his team could look Mumbai in the eye if they remained focussed. Form guide (last five games, most recent first) Mumbai: WWWWD Saurashtra: WWLWD Players to watch out for Shitanshu Kotak, Saurashtra's senior-most player, proved his worth in the quarter-final against Karnataka, where they needed 315 on the final day. More renowned for his tedious innings, Kotak transformed his batting and his 163-run fourth-wicket partnership with Cheteshwar Pujara helped take them into the semis. Last year his 796-minute epic of 168 in the final league game sapped Mumbai's energies as they lost on the first-innings lead. Zaheer Khan-Dhawal Kulkarni are Mumbai's two go-to men. This pair can destroy any opposition. The unique thing about the duo is their ability to strike early and at any time of the day. Zaheer has proved his versatility in all forms of the game with his movement in the air and off the pitch with both the new and the old ball. Kulkarni, the third highest wicket-taker this season (34), has picked up a wicket in his first over on six occasions. His accuracy is another factor that has rocked various oppositions in his debut season. Cheteshwar Pujara looked forward to the prospect of facing Zaheer at Chepauk. Curator K Parthasarathy said the pitch would sport a tinge of green and Pujara could be tested by Zaheer & Co. He has a whopping 867 runs at 86.70 in the Super League this season. His 112 not out enabled Saurashtra to score a sensational win, chasing 325, against Karnataka in the quarter-final in Mumbai. His runs have been scored at a creditable strike-rate of 72.12. "I want to deliver in all formats," he said. Pujara's four three-figure Ranji innings this year include a triple-century. On Pujara rest much of Saurashtra's hopes. Team news Mumbai have already announced their 12, benching Sahil Kukreja, Usman Malvi and Ankit Chavan. But as Wasim Jaffer admitted today, it will be a "tough choice" to decide on the final XI. Form might be the key and indications are it will eventually be a choice between two senior members: Amol Muzumdar and Sairaj Bahutule. Muzumdar, who needs a further 42 runs to become the highest run-maker in the Ranji Trophy, has a lone century in the eight games. But he might get picked over Bahutule, who has struggled to find rhythm (only nine wickets in six games) and has been reduced to a part-time spinner. Mumbai: Wasim Jaffer (capt), Vinayak Samant (wk), Ajinkya Rahane, Sachin Tendulkar, Rohit Sharma, Amol Muzumdar, Abhishek Nayar, Ramesh Powar, Ajit Agarkar, Zaheer Khan, Dhawal Kulkarni. With no injury worries, Saurashtra are likely to retain the same line-up that overwhelmed Karnataka in the quarter-final. Sauarashtra: Jaydev Shah (capt), Bhushan Chavan, Chirag Pathak, Shitanshu Kotak, Cheteshwar Pujara, Ravindra Jadeja, Sagar Jogiyani (wk), Kamlesh Makwana, Sandeep Jobanputra, Jayesh Odedra, Balkrishna Jadeja. Pitch & conditions Chennai is experiencing a pleasant winter with the mercury hovering in early-30s. The curator has predicted a sporting pitch but on the slower side. Though there is a smattering of grass, spinners will likely gain prominence from day three onwards. Quotes "Cheteshwar Pujara is capable of scoring big hundreds and his wicket is important. But we have more experience of playing at this level." Wasim Jaffer points out Mumbai's big worry. "Mentally they have the edge due to the addition of the two [Tendulkar and Zaheer] but we have to give 200%." Jaydev Shah, Saurashtra captain, accepts the challenge. "We don't need to be wary about Sachin and Zaheer but others have done well that's why they are in semis. They are definitely the stronger side even if we have done well against them in the last three games but they two were not there." Saurashtra coach Debu Mitra will not underestimate his opponents. Tamil Nadu v UP, Nagpur January 3, 2009 UP's bowlers v Tamil Nadu's batsmen Match facts January 4-7, 2009 Start time 9.30am (0400 GMT) L Balaji, who has taken 31 wickets at 16 so far this season, is finding his way back to being the bowler he once was © AFP Big Picture The battle lines for the Ranji Trophy semi-final in Nagpur couldn't have been clearer - it's Tamil Nadu's batsmen against Uttar Pradesh's bowlers. UP will be missing RP Singh, who is out with an injured shoulder, but Praveen Kumar and Bhuvneshwar Kumar will test the solid line-up of Abhinav Mukund, M Vijay, S Badrinath, Dinesh Karthik and S Suresh Kumar. Figures may suggest otherwise, but UP have been weak in batting and Tamil Nadu in bowling. Yet they have both been bailed out once each by their weaker discipline. When UP conceded 511 against Karnataka in their final league match, Tanmay Srivastava, Mohammad Kaif and Piyush Chawla took them to a first-innings lead that brought them into the quarter-finals. For Tamil Nadu's bowlers, the moment of truth arrived when the batsmen under-performed to concede a first-innings lead against Bengal on a flat track. L Balaji answered the call then, taking five wickets for seven runs on the final morning to give the batsmen a second chance, which they grabbed with both hands. So while the teams know they have one part of their game in order, and also that the other can strike as well, there is one shadow looming over this match that demands much more of these teams: the other semi-final, where Mumbai are the favourites to beat Saurashtra. Mumbai have been the runaway favourites all season and, with Sachin Tendulkar and Zaheer Khan in the side, they are an ominous presence. Whoever wins in Nagpur must realise that playing Mumbai is an altogether different ball game. Form guide This is the second time these teams are playing each other this season. But it might not be wise to go by the embarrassment that Tamil Nadu handed to UP in Ghaziabad. UP have reinforcements this time; and Tamil Nadu are not patting themselves on the back for beating a UP side missing Kaif, Praveen, Suresh Raina and RP. "This will be a completely different game," said Badrinath. "They were missing their important players then, so we are expecting a tough semi-final." None of the teams has lost a game since, but Tamil Nadu carry more confidence going into the semi-final for after falling behind twice in the first innings, against Baroda and Bengal, they have come back to register outright wins. "The last result shows how strong and united we are right now as a team," Badrinath said. It can be argued that UP are not as much a form team, and they are capable of surprises in big-match situations. Form guide (last five games, most recent first) Uttar Pradesh: DDDWL Tamil Nadu: WDWDW Head to head Praveen Kumar v M Vijay: When finally given the new ball, Praveen rocked Gujarat with 5 for 29 in the quarter-final, making sure UP didn't miss RP. More of the same will be expected of him, especially to take Vijay out early. If he gets a start, Vijay is capable of hurting bowlers bad, and in quick time. After his 243 against Maharashtra took him to the Indian team, he came back and scored a quickfire 73 against Bengal to set up their chase. It could be a decisive contest. Mohammad Kaif v S Badrinath: Kaif is the captain and, but for his India call-up, Badrinath would have been too. They hold their respective middle orders together while being surrounded by flashier players. Suresh Raina v L Balaji: Like Vijay, Raina is capable of running away with a game. It hasn't quite happened for him this season, but in the quarter-final he might have turned a corner. On a pitch on which their opponents managed 117, Raina scored 93 by himself. If he does well, the weak batting suddenly starts looking much stronger. Early in his innings though, he could be facing Balaji, who is making his way back to being the bowler he once was. In his first season back after injury he has taken 31 wickets at 16, and has looked better every game. Tanmay Srivastava v Abhinav Mukund: While all the focus might be on the India players, former India players, and India hopefuls, these two Under-19 World Cup winners could be the crucial players too. They have been so far. They are their sides' leading run-getters - Srivastava with 653 at 59.36, and Mukund with 756 at 84. Srivastava turned 19 earlier this season, Mukund will during this game. If they manage to do well in this pressure situation, they might come of age. Quotes "We believe we can come back from any situation. The last result [a win from behind against Bengal] shows how strong and united we are. Tamil Nadu batsman S Badrinath oozes confidence ahead of the semi-final "It's unfortunate that RP Singh is not there, but PK [Praveen Kumar] is one of the smartest bowlers in domestic cricket, and is capable of getting any batsman out. Gyanendra Pandey, UP coach, looks at the brighter side

[SachDan]

Where to watch?

NEO cricket for me :yay:

[h4te]

op, please change the title to Mumbai vs. Pujara. kthxbai edit: op, in b4 ban

[SachDan]

op, please change the title to Mumbai vs. Pujara. kthxbai edit: op, in b4 ban

:hysterical::hysterical:

[Shane]

op, please change the title to Mumbai vs. Pujara. kthxbai edit: op, in b4 ban

:cantstop:

[fineleg]

Not an equal match. Bombay will win.

[satishg]

eagerly awaiting to see how Pujara wud fare against Zak..and ofcourse SRT's batting hope TN makes it to the final..good games ahead :)

[Holysmoke]

Not an equal match.

Huh?

[fineleg]

Huh?

Clarifying - I meant its not an equal "match up".