Just about 20 kilometers from the Assam Cricket Association Stadium in Barsapara, which will be the focal point ahead of the first ODI between India and Sri Lanka, is the picturesque Amingaon Cricket Ground.
The picturesque venue with mountain views will open in 2021 and so far he has hosted BCCI-affiliated age-group tournaments. But it will make its first-class debut on Tuesday when home giants Mumbai take on Assam in a crucial Ranji Cup match.
From the looks of it, Mumbai pinned their hopes as the surface looks like a flat deck, with runfest on the cards and without opener Yashasvi Jaiswal who is not traveling with the team due to acute gastroenteritis doing. The captain has Ajinkya Rahane, Prithvi Shaw, Armaan Jaffer and Sarfaraz Khan – clearly Mumbai’s hit heroes of the season – on the move.
During a practice session the night before the game, Shaw and Jafar hit the net together to show they could open the innings, with Lahane taking third. The team’s management hopes to determine the final starting line-up before the draw, but coach Amol Muzumdar thinks Jaiswar’s absence could be an opportunity for someone else.
“Yashasvi is an integral part of the Mumbai side. Unfortunately he was unable to play in this match, but we have replacements available. If they get the chance, nothing beats that,” said Muzumdar, who said sports told Star.
Mumbai (16 points behind him in second place in Elite Group B) remains in contention for the overall win as the knockout rounds become more competitive. Despite leading in the first innings, they fell short of a full six points in their final match at home against Tamil Nadu. The team has learned from it and hopes to fix it.
Shardul Thakur had a big push to make the choice and before the game the Indian pacemaker threw the ball into the net and looked in great shape.
However, the team believes that a few good games can change his fate.
“The group is open. In cricket you can’t predict what will happen next. A lot can change in a day and just two wins and he’s knocked out. He can go on to the stage.” Assam’s Trevor he said Gonsalves head coach.
The team lacks the services of regular captain Kunal Saikia, who is still recovering from a hamstring injury, and in his absence, veteran hitter Gokul Sharma will lead the team. Akash Sengupta, who scored a dismal 65 against Maharashtra, is too enthusiastic to play.
In the last four matches, Assam has drawn his three times and won against Hyderabad. In their final match against Maharashtra they bounced back despite Kedar Jadav’s second century.
The focus is again on Riyan Parag, who has shaped the tournament so far. Riyan needed to use his experience, perform when it mattered and take on more responsibility against Mumbai. “Mumbai is just our name. After losing four wickets early on, we took the lead in the first innings against Delhi. “I was nervous about it, but now it’s not. Now Mumbai is just a team,” added Gonzalves confidently.
He told his men to give them a say.
Tushar Deshpande, who took his six wickets including his five-four in the first innings against Tamil Nadu, did not play on Monday, but manager Muzumdar said it was his job to cope with his workload. One way he said was Assam.
“In the last game he played four days, he wasn’t feeling well [until Friday] and we moved here early in the morning [Saturday] so we could keep his workload up and keep everyone fresh. It’s a matter of doing it,” he told the coach. He said.
As temperatures drop in the morning, cautious Mumbai tackle session after session, with host Assam away hoping to ruin his team’s plans. With 11 points, Assam are fifth in the table and don’t have many chances to advance to the round of 16.