CHENNAI: A confident Tamil Nadu side is set to take on Assam in a Ranji Trophy fixture at Barsapara Cricket Stadium in Guwahati, starting Wednesday. Their confidence is bolstered by the return of ace spinner Sai Kishore, who missed the last two rounds of the Ranji Trophy while representing the India A team at the ACC Men's T20 Emerging Teams Asia Cup.
Sai Kishore's penetrative bowling and his uncanny ability to bat at any position could prove to be a significant advantage for the visitors. Currently, Tamil Nadu sits on 11 points from three matches, having won their opening game against Saurashtra and drawn their subsequent encounters with Delhi and Chhattisgarh. In contrast, Assam has managed just one point from their three matches, with two losses and one draw.
"Glad to be back. Everything is fine. We are preparing in earnest, and we will go all out against the opposition. We have a good side, and I am sure our boys will do well," Sai Kishore stated. He added, "In the first two games, we did well, and in the last one, we could have done better. We want to focus on what is before us now and are keen to give our best."
However, Tamil Nadu will be without the services of Washington Sundar (who is with the Indian team for the tour of Australia), as well as Sai Sudharsan and B. Indrajith (who are on the India A tour of Australia).
"Yes, we will not have them (the trio), but that is part of the game. If you look at Mumbai, they have had many players representing the country, and thus most could not play in the Ranji Trophy. Still, Mumbai performed with the players available and was a strong side that ended up winning the Ranji titles. So we must take a cue from Mumbai, perform, and stop complaining," Sai Kishore remarked.
Although Assam may not be the strongest side in this season’s Ranji Trophy, no team can be taken for granted in First-Class cricket. Assam boasts quality batters such as Rishav Das, Sibsankar Roy, and Sumit Ghadigaonkar, with Ghadigaonkar recently scoring a significant hundred against a robust Delhi attack. Batting is their strength, while their bowling remains an area for improvement.
"We are aware that one should not take any team lightly at this level (First-Class). We have played them before, and we will assess what team they are fielding on Wednesday and plan accordingly," Sai Kishore said. During their previous match against Saurashtra in Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu's medium pacers excelled, while spinners played a crucial role in later games.
"We will have a look at the wicket before the game, assess the conditions, and pick our attack accordingly. We have players who can adapt and bowl on any surface. Conditions at home and here (in Assam) are different, so we will definitely select an attack capable of taking 20 wickets. I believe in a positive style of play," Sai Kishore concluded.