CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu are all set to take on Jharkhand in their season opening encounter of the Ranji Trophy at Coimbatore from Wednesday. After losing in the quarter-finals to eventual winners Vidarbha last season, a new-look Tamil Nadu team is expected to go all the way for the title. With former Tamil Nadu batter M Senthilnathan taking over as coach, the team has incorporated fresh blood. For this tie, Tamil Nadu have a shot in the arm in the form of N Jagadeesan, who was part of the Indian Test team that whitewashed the two-match Test series against West Indies on Tuesday. "Jagadeesan will be arriving on Tuesday night. Sai Sudharsan. I have not got any information on him. Jags is waiting for him. If Sai Sudharsan is not coming up, we have to see," Senthilnathan told this daily.
The visitors will be led by wicketkeeper Ishan Kishan, and have the likes of Virat Singh and Anukul Roy. The last time these two teams met, the visitors emerged victorious. "I am aware that we lost to them, the last time. So we need to be cautious, but not over cautious. I have told the boys this is a new season and we have to have a positive mind set and start afresh on a winning note," said Senthilnathan.
The Buchi Babu tournament, in addition to preparatory camps has helped the players and coach in their preparation. ''We have really prepared well for the season ahead. The camps (held at Chennai, Tiruppur and Coimbatore) were meaningful and went on well with purpose. The boys put in a lot of effort to hone their skills. So I am happy with their approach,'' Senthilnathan added.
The likes of Jagadeesan, B Indrajith Pradosh Ranjan Paul and young Andre Siddarth will be expected to score big runs.
One concern for the team is the middle-order is short on experience, with Vijay Shankar moving to Tripura, and skipper Sai Kishore sidelined due to injury. "Yes, there is a bit of transition, but I believe that is an opportunity for youngsters to grab spots and make a mark for themselves. Last year, Andre got an opportunity and was impressive. So this season too I expect the youngsters to make use of the opportunity that they get. They played well in the Buchi Babu and have a fair idea of how to approach First Class cricket. So it (the first few games of Ranji) will be a learning experience for them," said the former India U19 player.
Pacers Sandeep Warrier and Gurjapneet Singh are back after recovering from injuries. Both played a couple of tournaments before the Ranji opener and are in good shape. With the absence of Sai Kishore and Ajith Ram due injuries Tamil Nadu spin attack looks a bit vulnerable. "We have a good seam attack. Hemchudeshan J, Vidyut P and DT Chandrasekhar were impressive in the Buchi Babu and have trained well. I believe that both Hem and Vidyut have it in them to excel at this level,'' opined Senthilnathan.
