Kerala, Goa and J&K brace for big fight
Qualification scenarios for teams in Group C of the Ranji Trophy 2013-14
Alagappan Muthu
29-Dec-2013
Ahead of the final round, four teams in Group C are jostling for the top two spots. However, Himachal Pradesh, in third place after completing their quota of eight matches, have no hope of progressing further. Hyderabad, Andhra, Assam and Tripura are also too far behind to qualify.
Maharashtra - 29 points in 7 matches; last league match v Assam
Their place at the top of the table is not quite airtight yet, though qualification is almost certain. Maharashtra's final match is against seventh-placed Assam and all they need to progress is to avoid defeat. For them to get knocked out, things have to go badly wrong: they should lose, J&K - who are on their heels with 25 points - should win and Goa should get a bonus-point victory over Andhra.
Their place at the top of the table is not quite airtight yet, though qualification is almost certain. Maharashtra's final match is against seventh-placed Assam and all they need to progress is to avoid defeat. For them to get knocked out, things have to go badly wrong: they should lose, J&K - who are on their heels with 25 points - should win and Goa should get a bonus-point victory over Andhra.
Jammu & Kashmir - 25 points in 7 matches; last league match v Tripura
They have one more win - four from seven matches - than Maharashtra but with two losses, they are in second place. Their final match is against Tripura, who have only one point in the season so far. They will fancy their chances of an outright win, which will guarantee qualification. A draw after taking the first-innings lead will take them to 28 points, which will not be enough if Goa take seven points from their last match. It will come down to the quotient if Goa get six points, and J&K three.
They have one more win - four from seven matches - than Maharashtra but with two losses, they are in second place. Their final match is against Tripura, who have only one point in the season so far. They will fancy their chances of an outright win, which will guarantee qualification. A draw after taking the first-innings lead will take them to 28 points, which will not be enough if Goa take seven points from their last match. It will come down to the quotient if Goa get six points, and J&K three.
Goa - 22 points in 7 matches; last league match v Andhra
The dark horse in this race, their bid for the quarter-finals hinges on a win in their final match. They do have the advantage of hosting their last match, but their opponents, Andhra have been beaten only once in the season. It could become a straight fight with J&K for the second qualifying spot, but the permutations will come into play only if Goa win outright.
The dark horse in this race, their bid for the quarter-finals hinges on a win in their final match. They do have the advantage of hosting their last match, but their opponents, Andhra have been beaten only once in the season. It could become a straight fight with J&K for the second qualifying spot, but the permutations will come into play only if Goa win outright.
Kerala - 19 points in 7 matches; last league match v Hyderabad
An outside chance of finishing in the top two, Kerala need an outright win in their final game and would need several favourable results elsewhere as well. Both J&K and Goa will have to lose their final match and remain stagnant on the points table, for Kerala to leapfrog them into second place.
An outside chance of finishing in the top two, Kerala need an outright win in their final game and would need several favourable results elsewhere as well. Both J&K and Goa will have to lose their final match and remain stagnant on the points table, for Kerala to leapfrog them into second place.
Group C table
| Teams | Mat | Won | Lost | Tied | Draw | Aban | Pts | Quotient | For | Against |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Maharashtra | 7 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 4 | 0 | 29 | 1.824 | 3845/65 | 3697/114 |
| Jammu & Kashmir | 7 | 4 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 25 | 0.977 | 3299/111 | 3285/108 |
| Himachal Pradesh | 8 | 3 | 3 | 0 | 2 | 0 | 24 | 1.164 | 3530/111 | 3523/129 |
| Goa | 7 | 3 | 1 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 22 | 0.933 | 3302/98 | 3646/101 |
| Kerala | 7 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 19 | 0.938 | 3088/114 | 3204/111 |
| Hyderabad (India) | 7 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 18 | 1.148 | 3567/73 | 3321/78 |
| Andhra | 7 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 14 | 1.124 | 2939/91 | 2989/104 |
| Assam | 7 | 1 | 3 | 0 | 3 | 0 | 14 | 0.799 | 3173/104 | 3053/80 |
| Tripura | 7 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 1 | 0.542 | 2958/128 | 2983/70 |