CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu will look to put behind their innings defeat against Jharkhand when they face Nagaland in their second round of the Ranji Trophy to be played at the BCCI CoE grounds, Bengaluru.
Nagaland, who got promoted from Plate Group to Elite Group this season, too suffered a heavy innings and 179 runs defeat at the hands of Vidarbha in their opening encounter.
But with the return of captain R Sai Kishore, who missed the previous game due to injury, Tamil Nadu will be determined to get back to winning ways.
N Jagadeesan, who captained Tamil Nadu in the previous game, is not available as he is part of the India A side that is set to play against South Africa. B Sachin is also not part of the team as he is yet to recover from the illness he suffered during the last game.
Left-arm spinner Sai Kishore had sustained a fracture in the ring finger of his bowling hand during a TNCA First Division league match and subsequently had to miss the Duleep Trophy. In the last Ranji match, he travelled with the TN team and bowled in the nets at the SNR College cricket grounds, Coimbatore. He was feeling much better and is now ready to play against Nagaland.
"It is good to have Sai (Kishore) back as a captain. And I mean he lends a little bit of depth in the batting and his bowling will be so handy as usual,'' said M Senthilnathan, chief coach of Tamil Nadu.
After the first Ranji game, Tamil Nadu had time to introspect and work on areas that they needed to improve.
"It is the second match of the season and we got to know the areas that we did not perform well in the previous game. It (areas to improve) have been addressed and we want to start afresh. The preparations have been good and we have just come back after the practice. I think the boys are looking forward to the game (against Nagaland) and are keen to do well," said Senthilnathan.
Tamil Nadu, on paper, are a much stronger side and the coach said they'll be aiming for maximum points. "Of course, we want to go for full points. And we are planning. We are preparing for it. I mean like, if the weather holds well, I think we should be through."
With regular wicketkeeper Jagadeesan absent, there are two contenders — Ajitesh G and SR Athish — for that slot. The latter might get the nod, as per the coach. "I think Athish will get his due. Arthish might get the nod," said Senthilnathan.
Moreover, TN will also be looking for a new pair at the top order with regular openers, Jagadeesan and Sachin, not available. Tushar Raheja, R Vimal Khumar and even Pradosh Ranjan Paul are some of the options on the table. "Mostly, Athish and Vimal will be the opening pair," revealed Senthilnathan.
The Tamil Nadu side boasts of a strong middle order and the likes of Pradosh, Baba Indrajith and M Shahrukh Khan will be hoping to be among runs. "From this match, they will all be firing till we reach the last game in the league round. So, I think probably, they will all be more than aware of the situation. And I think next time, they will come back strong and post a good score."
But the big question is the Bengaluru weather and the wicket. Both will have a big role in Tamil Nadu's quest for full points.
"Slightly cloudy today (Friday). Hopefully, in the next four days, if it (weather) stays fine we can accomplish our task. The wicket looks hard and nice. Probably, the third and fourth day, a little bit of wear and tear will be there. So, due to that, there could be some kind of assistance for the spinners. We will have a final look before the game and decide the XI," signed off Senthilnathan.
Select matches
Group A: At Vizianagaram: Andhra vs Baroda; At Kanpur: Uttar Pradesh vs Odisha; At Bengaluru: Nagaland vs Tamil Nadu
Group B: At Shivamogga: Karnataka vs Goa; At New Chandigarh: Punjab vs Kerala
Group D: At Puducherry: Pondicherry vs Hyderabad; At New Delhi: Delhi vs Himachal Pradesh
