Ranji Trophy | Bengal eager to bounce back against Railways

At one of the oldest port cities of the country, Bengal will be out to right the ship in the fourth round of the Ranji Trophy, starting here on Saturday.

Coach Laxmi Ratan Shukla’s boys, still wounded from the draw against Tripura, square off against Railways in an Elite Group-C fixture at the Lalbhai Contractor Stadium next. That one slip-up saw the table-topper drop to third (13 points), behind Haryana (18) and Services (13).

The side’s list of unavailable players has only grown. Wicketkeeper-batter Abishek Porel, who had been chosen to fill regular skipper Abhimanyu Easwaran’s shoes ahead of the previous game, is presently at the Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru after being named in the ACC Rising Stars Asia Cup squad. Sudip Gharami will hence lead the side, with Shakir Habib Gandhi set to wear the big gloves.

Out of favour India pacer Mohammed Shami, having gone wicketless in the previous game, flew back to Delhi on Wednesday. Suraj Sindhu Jaiswal is slated to replace him in the XI.

The duel will be fought on a conventional red-soil wicket that wears a faint green stubble. One could expect true bounce and carry on the first two days before the surface breaks down to accommodate the spinners.

And this is where the experience of leg-spinner Karn Sharma could come in handy for Railways, which is yet to win a game and is in fifth spot with just four points. Although he has claimed only two wickets thus far, the conditions may hold the key to a reversal of fortunes.

Railways coach Santosh Saxena said he is wary of the threat Bengal poses. “They are a talented bunch with an excellent bowling unit that will look to utilise the pitch here. Luckily, we don’t have any injuries. We are ready for the challenge.”