Semi-final berths up for grabs

The final league phase of the Ranji Trophy kicks off on Christmas day, but that will not sway the teams into granting any favours. Semi-final berths are up for grabs, but there is also a small matter of teams taking desperate measures to avoid relegation.

Elite Group
Points Table

Mumbai (20 points) are the only team certain to make the knockout stage. Either Punjab or Railways are most likely to join them, unless Uttar Pradesh get a large dollop of fortune served their way. Punjab (11 points) take on Mumbai at Mohali, and will need an outright win to ensure complete safety. Anything short of that, and Railways (10 points) could pip them at the post. Railways travel to Baroda, and will hope for Mumbai to do them a good turn by denying Punjab a win.

Vinod Sharma, the Railways coach, spoke to Wisden Cricinfo on the eve of their match. He said, "We are very happy with the preparation and we will try to do our best." When asked about his team going off the boil in the last two games he said, "Middle-order batting failure has resulted in us slipping up. We are thinking of one or two changes for tomorrow's game."

Railways go into the game without Sanjay Bangar, who has been selected for the India A squad playing in the Kenstar tri-series in Kolkata. Sharma said, "We are thinking of opening with Amit Pagnis and Shreyas Khanolkar, who hit a hundred against the touring West Indies side in 2002."

Baroda are in a perilous position, and run a huge risk of relegation to the Plate division. Semi-finalists last year, runners-up in 2002 and champions in 2001, Baroda (4 points) will hope to stay in elite company. Sharma added, "It sets up an exciting game as both teams will look for a result from the game."

Kerala (2 points) languish at the bottom and their only chance of survival in the big league rests on Baroda slipping up. Kerala host UP in their final match and only a win can give them a chance of not falling into the Plate cabinet. UP (9 points) will not only aim for an outright win, but also try and sneak in a bonus point. Just in case Punjab and Railways mess up in their respective matches, UP, for the first time since the 1997-98 season, might enter the last four.

The other match of the group involves Delhi and Andhra. With both teams having collected only 6 points, the result is only of academic interest.

Tamil Nadu (15 points), having finished all their games in the league stage, are almost certain of topping this group. They would be hoping that some complex mathematics does not work against them, an eventuality that would occur only if Karnataka and Hyderabad record handsome wins in their final matches.

But the real tussle is between Karnataka (11 points) and Hyderabad (10 points). Both teams enjoy home advantage - Karnataka take on Assam while Hyderabad entertain Rajasthan. Just a win may not be enough, and both sides would try to eke out a bonus point to tilt the scales.

If both Karnataka and Hyderabad falter, three teams (Gujarat, Bengal and Assam) will be lurking in the shades and smelling a semi-final opportunity. Rajasthan (4 points) teeter on the brink of relegation and know that even a victory, against Hyderabad, may not be good enough.

Plate Group
Points Table

Haryana (8 points) host Vidarbha (7 points) in what is virtually a quarter-final clash. With Madhya Pradesh (10 points) cosily ensconced in the last four, and the three other teams having only 4 points, this knockout game could decide the other semi-finalist.

Maharashtra and Orissa have already booked their place in the last four, and will hope for some useful practice in their final games. Orissa travel to Delhi to play Services, while Maharashtra entertain Himachal Pradesh at Pune. With the Maharashtra batting order in such destructive form - Hrishikesh Kanitkar, Kaushak Aphale et al - the HP bowlers may not find this Christmas too merry.