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Wednesday, Jan 10, 2007
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Dravid's presence to bolster Karnataka

Special Correspondent

Rajkot: Karnataka will hope for a decisive result against Saurashtra in the last round league match to be played at the Madhavrao Scindia Stadium from Wednesday to make it to the semifinals of the Ranji Trophy.

Despite conceding full points to Baroda (17 points) in the opening match, it has clawed its way back. Karnataka's players, a mix of youth and experience, have put their heart and soul, and it has taken Karnataka to the second spot behind Baroda in the Ranji Trophy Group `A' Super League.

When the Karnataka team reported at the stadium on Tuesday morning for its last, but very crucial net session, lingering doubts about Rahul Dravid's participation in the match were also cleared to the team management's pleasure. Registered with the Karnataka State Cricket Association (KSCA) right through his career, Dravid's name was not among the list submitted by the KSCA to the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI) at the start of the new season.

Dravid to play

The BCCI Secretary Niranjan Shah told former India left-arm spinner and Karnataka manager Raghuram Bhat that Dravid is contracted with the BCCI and that the team need not be hassled with a minor issue.

Dravid himself obtained clarity on the matter before his departure from Mumbai to Rajkot. The BCCI's Chief Administrative Officer (CAO) Prof. Ratnakar Shetty said Dravid's is not an isolated instance. "The BCCI provides insurance cover for all the players who take part in the domestic tournaments and hence the States have to submit the probables/players' list to the BCCI," said Prof. Shetty.

Team effort

The team manager Bhat confirmed that Yere Gowd will remain the captain and that everybody is looking forward to Dravid's arrival here. The India captain, held up in Mumbai as his personal baggage did not arrive from South Africa, would be keen to join his fellow Karnataka players, but more importantly to get a nice hit in the middle. Karnataka's campaign has so far been led by opener Uthappa who has made a claim for his inclusion for the first matches against the West Indies and also in the list of World Cup probables to be announced here on Friday (January 12). The other batsmen have chipped in with useful contributions. The bowling department wears a healthy look with four bowlers — Vinay Kumar, B. Akhil, Sunil Joshi and K. P. Appanna — being highly consistent.

Left-arm spinner Appanna is not in the squad because of his selection in the India under-19 team for the tour of New Zealand and Malaysia. "We have played well as a unit right through. The players have bonded well, that's been the key to our success," said Prasad when Yere Gowd joined him to make a first assessment of the pitch.

Saurashtra, thanks to some memorable performances from Sitanshu Kotak, Cheteshwar Pujara and left arm spinner Rakesh Dhruv, has proved to be the surprise packet of the championship. The locals beat Delhi and Haryana to collect nine points and avoid relegation.

The teams (from):

Karnataka: Yere Goud (captain), Rahul Dravid, Barrington Rowland, Thilak Naidu, Sunil Joshi, Balachandra Akhil, Robin Uthappa, Deepak Chougule, Vinay Kumar, C. Raghu, Udit Patel, Devraj Patil, Bharat Chipli, Gaurav Dhiman, Raju Bhatkal.

Saurashtra: Jaydev Shah (captain), Sitanshu Kotak, Firoz Bambania, Kanaiya Vaghela, Rakesh Dhruv, Sandip Maniar, Kamlesh Makwana, Cheteshwar Pujara, Sagar Jogiyani, Prashant Joshi, Pratik Mehta, Ashok Kamalia, Sandil Natkan, Sandeep Jobanputra.

Umpires: Messrs Sanjeev Rao and M.S.S. Ranawant.

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