Vadodara, Andhra look for full points from tomorrow's keen tussle

Vadodara, Dec 16 (UNI) A keen competition is on the cards when a well balanced Andhra Pradesh take on former champions Vadodara in their fourth Ranji Trophy Super League Group 'A' cricket match beginning at the Motibaug Palace ground here tomorrow.

For both Vadodara and Andhra Pradesh, who had taken their tally to 9 and 8 points respectively from three matches, tomorrow's match is of vital importance as an outright victory in the tie would brighten the prospect of the winning team to be through to the knock-out stage.

Vadodara, which conceded two valuable points to Delhi in their last league match for a huge 249-run first innings deficit, are however high on morale with their senior most talented opener Satyajit Parab making a come back into the team after 10 months fully recovering from a knee surgery.

Parab was rested after he suffered a minor fracture in his right knee while taking a single along with Md Kaif for India (Senior) against India (A) in last year's Challenger Trophy played at Mohali.

''Now I'm quite happy to be back in the team after a long gap and looking forward to play great innings for the side with confidence,'' Parab told UNI after the nets.

Vadodara coach Ashok Mankad, who felt that both sides were at par, announced inclusion of opener Satyajit Parab and all-rounder Murtuja Vohra in the final eleven of the team in place of Rishikesh Parab and Ajit Bhoite.

For putting up a good total on the board, the hosts will be depending on its skipper Jacob Martin and Ketan Panchal apart from two openers--Satyajit and Connor Williams, who vitually thwarted Delhi's hope of a massive victory with a brilliant 106 in his second knock. In-form medium pacer Rakesh Patel will spreahead the bowling attack along with Irfan Pathan (Sr).

Andhra skipper Venupogal Rao said his side having experienced and youngsters like wicket keeper M S K Prasad, L N Prasad Reddy, B Sumanth and medium pacers-- K S Shahbuddin and D Kalyan Krishna, was ready to take on Vadodara with full confidence to avenge the side's last year defeat by virtue of first innings lead. Medium paper P Vijay Kumar, who had performed remarkably in the domestic cricket, was likely to make his Ranji debut tomorrow, he added. Teams: Vadodara: Jacob Martin (cap), Connor Williams, Satyajit Parab, Murtuja Vohra, Ketan Panchal, Pinal Shah (wk), Yusuf Pathan, Rajesh Pawar, Rakesh Patel, Irfan Pathan (Sr) and Rakesh Solanki.

Andhra Pradesh (from): Y Venugopal Rao (cap), K S Shahbuddin, M S K Prasad (wk), L N Prasad Reddy, A S K Varma, Y Gnaneswar Rao, B Sumanth, R V C H Prasad, Md Faiq, D Kalyan Krishna, Y Laxman Kishore, S Arjun Kumar, V Manoj Sai and P Vijay Kumar.

UNI SS KU DH HT1742