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Wednesday, Mar 30, 2005

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Ranji final — much at stake

By Vijay Lokapally

MOHALI, MARCH 29. A vastly-improved Punjab and an under-rated Railways will test their resilience over the next five days to decide the champion team of the country as the 2004-05 Ranji Trophy edition nears its climax with the final at the PCA Stadium here.

On the eve of the contest, the teams obviously exuded confidence even as a green pitch welcomed the players. "I would love bowling on a surface like this," said Punjab speedster Gagandeep Singh.

"We too are geared up," said Railways skipper Sanjay Bangar, who should relish the grass on the pitch. "We are a well-knit unit. It is a very effective combination because each player understands his role very well," Bangar said with a smile.

There is not much at stake for the players from this match. The Punjab skipper Pankaj Dharmani, however, disagrees. "I don't know what motivates me but I still believe I can make a comeback," said Dharmani, who made his international debut nine years ago but has not earned another chance ever since.

Dharmani is the only surviving member from the Punjab team that won the Ranji Trophy 13 seasons ago under the guidance of coach Bishan Singh Bedi. He has served the State with distinction and is keen to carry on the good work of the last match against Mumbai when he crafted a victory amidst exacting circumstances with a brilliant match-winning effort. "I would say it was important only because it helped the team win the match," he said with modesty.

The unassuming Dharmani, a compact wicket-keeper batsman, rates his team's chances better than Railways. "The conditions favour us. I know both the teams are on a high but we have come here winning a tough match," he observed.

For Railways coach Vinod Sharma, the match is an opportunity for his team to draw the attention of the selectors. "We have a couple of players who qualify for National selection and I wish the boys continued to give their best when it matters most.

"The route to the final has been difficult but then it has proved that we are a team of players who back each other. This quality to support each other is our strength," said Sharma, who has coached the team to title triumphs in Ranji Trophy and Irani Cup.

Timely knock

The timely knock by the diminutive left-handed opener Amit Pagnis in the semifinal against Hyderabad was just the tonic Railways needed, not to forget the spirited bowling of seamers Harvinder Singh and Jai Prakash Yadav. His impeccable innings carried the team to the final round. However, Railways would miss the services of left-arm spinner Murali Kartik. Punjab too will be without Yuvraj Singh, Dinesh Mongia and Harbhajan Singh and that really puts the teams on par for this contest.

Punjab coach Intikhab Alam summed up the occasion when he said, "We are ready for the battle and are not underestimating the opposition. The pitch is firm and I think we will have a very good cricket match over the next five days."

The teams (from):

Punjab: Pankaj Dharmani (Captain), R.S. Sodhi, Ravneet Ricky, Ankur Kakkar, Gaurav Singh, Chandan Madan, Munish Sharma, Gagandeep Singh, V.R.V. Singh, Vineet Sharma, Amit Uniyal, Rajat Sharma, Navdeep Singh, Sandeep Sanwal and Vipul Sharma.

Railways: Sanjay Bangar (Captain), Amit Pagnis, T.P. Singh, Yere Goud, Raja Ali, S. Khanolkar, J. P. Yadav, S. Wankhede, Harvinder Singh, K. Parida, Santosh Saxena, Siddharth Joshi, Siddharth Verma and Madan Yadav.

Umpires: Messrs M.R. Singh and C.R. Mohite; Match referee: Mr. Bhagwan Das.

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