GUWAHATI, Nov 30 � Assam will play its fifth Ranji Trophy match of Group C against Jammu and Kashmir at the Nehru Stadium here from tomorrow. However, it will be the fourth match for J&K
Assam is a clear favourite side in the four-day encounter considering the record in earlier matches of the season.
Assam batsmen, led by captain Dheeraj Jadhab and spinners are in match winning form. Despite the last match against Services Assam players performed satisfactorily.
Assam has 16 points from four outings with two outright victories, one draw with first innings lead and a loss. But the visiting team is at the bottom of the table with just one point from a drawn match against Goa after conceding lead.
Assam has included batsmen Sib Sankar Roy, wicket keeper Kunal Saikia and pace bowler Preetom Das in the team considering their nice form in the recently concluded CK Nayudu Trophy tournament replacing Dhiraj Goswami, Hokaito Zhimomi and Amit Sinha.
J & K team, coached by former India captain Bishen Singh Bedi is running through a poor form losing matches against Jharkand and Andhra. They have very few batsmen who are in form. Parveez Rasool is the only J & K batsman who scored a century against Goa. Captain Ian Dev Singh, Adil Reshi and Hardeep Singh are the other batsmen who showed some form in previous matches. Their bowlers are also not in peak form and hardly could put any impact in previous outings.
Teams from: (J & K) Ian Dev Singh (capt), Ram Dayal, Adil Reasi, Parveez Rasool, Hardeep Singh, Bandeep Singh, Owais Shah, Manik Gupta, Obaid Haroon, Waseem Raza, Sahil Sharma, Mohammed Mudhasir, Rohit Bhat, Manish Dogra.
The team: Dheeraj Jadhav (capt), Pallab Das, Kunal Saikia, Gokul Sharma, Tarjinder Singh, Sib Shankar Roy, Pritam Das, Chandan Rawat, Abu Nechim Ahmed, Arlen Konwar, Arup Das, Rajdeep Das, Syed Mohammed, Deepak Gohain, Amit Sinha. Manager: Abdul Khalique; coaches: Subhrajit Saikia and Subhadeep Ghosh; physio: Parmeet Singh, trainer: Rakesh Gohil.
