Hyderabad hosts Punjab in a top-of-the-table Ranji Trophy clash starting Monday at the Gymkhana ground. Both teams face changes as key players joined India’s tour. Coach Amit Uniyal said, "Even we're okay with a spinning track." Hyderabad’s spin trio hopes to stop Punjab’s batters in this exciting Elite Group B match.
Unbeaten and unburdened by Mohammed Siraj and Shubman Gill's absence, Hyderabad hosts Punjab in a top-of-the-table Ranji Trophy clash.
Mohammed Siraj and Shubman Gill might have left their domestic sides for India's tour of New Zealand, but the stakes at Gymkhana are no smaller. Hyderabad hosts Punjab, starting Monday, in a top-of-the-table (Elite Group B) Ranji Trophy clash.
Hyderabad, having beaten Tripura and Andhra, has brought in Mudassar Hussain as Siraj's replacement. Punjab, which defeated Chhattisgarh by seven wickets after Assam's stubborn opener, has added Anshul Chaudhary, Sukhdeep Singh Bajwa and Raghu Sharma, with Gill and Gurnoor Brar making way.
Punjab, after Assam refused to budge in the opening round, bounced back with a seven-wicket win over Chhattisgarh. It has brought in Anshul Chaudhary, Sukhdeep Singh Bajwa and Raghu Sharma; Gill and Gurnoor Brar making way.
The pitch is expected to turn, as it did in Hyderabad's rout of Tripura a few weeks ago, and the home side has just the man for it. Tanay Thyagarajan leads the season's bowling charts, and head coach Amit Uniyal said that Punjab is ready to tackle the turn.
"Even we're okay with a spinning track. I don't believe in playing on flat tracks. We believe that there should be a result (to the contest)," he told Sportstar on the eve of the match.
Tanay has the most wickets (20), the best match figures (31-4-98-11 vs. Andhra) and the best strike rate (17.5, among bowlers with at least 20 overs). Fellow tweakers Aniketh Reddy and Ruthik Yadav have backed him well, and the trio must bring their best against a Punjab side that has notched up five centuries so far. Salil Arora has been the most consistent with the bat, supported ably by skipper Uday Saharan and Vihaan Malhotra.
"The best part is that most of our batters are taking responsibility. Anybody getting set is trying to finish the game. If you're taking responsibility and can build partnerships, then obviously you can score big runs," Amit said.
Hyderabad batters can take heart from the fact that Punjab has conceded three centuries so far. K. Himateja, fresh from his match-winning knock against Andhra, will lead its charge with the willow.
Amit knows the size of the task. "Since Ambati Rayudu has joined (HCA), Hyderabad is doing well. It has won both matches, and obviously the confidence must be high. Let's play good cricket. It doesn't matter who wins, as long as cricket does."
By the final stumps, though, he will want every possible point. Punjab has been in a lull for three seasons, and it has already matched its 2023-24 points tally. It is just two short of what it managed in each of the last two editions.
Meanwhile, Hyderabad, which now has an extra home match (vs. Chhattisgarh), will look to cement its place at the top as it chases a first knockout berth in a decade.