CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu might be missing some big names but they are still a formidable team. With the goal of making the knockout stage, the team from South is determined to return with an outright win when they take on Railways in the Ranji Trophy to be held at the Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad from Wednesday.
Tamil Nadu drew against Assam in the last outing, while Railways also managed a draw against Chhattisgarh. Railways have 14 points from four games, while Tamil Nadu has 12 points from an equal number of matches.
Although Railways are two points ahead, Tamil Nadu has the edge as they have strong batting depth. However, the team will continue to operate without the services of Washington Sundar, B Sai Sudharsan and Baba Indrajith.
R Sai Kishore's fitness is another concern for the team from South. Sai Kishore had suffered an injury in the previous outing against Assam and he's a doubtful starter. Though he has been trying his best to get back in shape, it remains to be seen if he'll make the playing XI come Wednesday.
If Sai Kishore misses out, the reserves could be drafted into the playing XI. "We had good practice and are ready for the Railways challenge. We are confident of a good show as our preparations have been spot on and the mindset is positive too," said left-arm spinner S Ajith Ram to TNIE.
"Our track record against Railways has been good. So that augurs well for us. We are also aware that we need to get maximum points from now on to make the knockouts. So we will give our best shot," added the genial spinner.
The in-form Vijay Shankar, Pradosh Ranjan Paul, M Shahrukh Khan and C Andre Siddarth have to step up to help the hosts post a challenging total. "We are aware of the challenges ahead of us. A couple of players are not there, but we still have a good line-up and will go about the task in a systematic way," noted Ajith Ram.
Tamil Nadu began the season on a winning note, defeating Saurashtra by an innings at Coimbatore and after that, they came close to beating Delhi. A win at Ahmedabad will help them edge closer to knockouts.
"Every game we go and try for a win. So against Railways too, we will go all out for a win. The idea is to begin well and go with the flow. We play as a team and enjoy our outing, so the task is much easier. Plus, we have excellent team management to guide us through this phase," he insisted.
The wickets at Ahmedabad are different to that in the South and Assam, so one needs to be mentally prepared for it. "We no longer worry about the toss or wicket. At this level, we have been trained to play either way. We are prepared to bat or bowl first depending upon what the team management decides. As players, our job is to perform and play the role allocated to us,'' said Ajith Ram.
Railways have a couple of top-order batters who have the potential to hurt Tamil Nadu. Their bowling is still heavily dependent upon veteran Karn Sharma.