Srinath backs off from Irani encounter

The Indian first class season officially kicks off tomorrow with the Irani Trophy in Mumbai between the Ranji Trophy champions and the Rest of India. The Irani fixture which is usually held in the first week of October has been put back by about a week this time. That has meant the game will be forced to take the backstage tomorrow as all eyes follow India's progress in the ICC KnockOut in Nairobi. But the clash promises to be keenly fought and there is little really to choose between the two squads.

Rest of India have a clear edge in the batting stakes with a line-up that boasts Sadagopan Ramesh, Shiv Sunder Das, VVS Laxman, Mohd. Kaif, Jacob Martin and Reetinder Sodhi. However they have suffered a setback through the last minute pullout of pace spearhead Javagal Srinath due to a knee problem. He has been replaced by his Karnataka team mate Dodda Ganesh who was yet to reach Mumbai as of Thursday evening. The team had a rigorous workout late in the day and skipper Laxman expressed himself happy with the preparation. Laxman said that the final composition of the eleven would be decided on the morning of the match by the national selectors.

Groundsman Nadeem Memon suggested that the wicket would provide good purchase for the seamers. He said the pitch was hard and would last the full five days and the bounce offered would also assist spin bowlers who are not afraid to flight the ball. Memon was of the opinion that the side winning the toss should bowl first so that the opening bowlers could take full advantage of the conditions in the first session. Laxman believed there was not as much grass on the wicket as during the Ranji final between Hyderabad and Mumbai in April which was the last first class game held at the Wankhede Stadium.

The Mumbai team have a chance to try out a few options in the absence of Tendulkar, Kambli and Agarkar. Opening batsman Vinayak Mane and seamer Swapnil Hazare, both among the second batch of trainees at the National Cricket Academy, will be keenly watched as will middle order batsmen, Kiran Powar and Nishit Shetty. The city was lashed by showers on Wednesday evening but the clouds have since cleared and the ground bears no tell tale signs.

The squads:

Rest of India: VVS Laxman (captain), Sadagopan Ramesh, Shiv Sunder Das, Mohd Kaif, Jacob Martin, Abhijit Kale, Virender Shewag, Ashish Nehra, Ajay Ratra, Murali Kartik, Dodda Ganesh, Laxmi Ratan Shukla, Sharandeep Singh and Reetinder Sodhi.

Mumbai: Sameer Dighe (captain), Wasim Jaffer, Vinayak Mane, Amol Muzumdar, Ramesh Powar, Rajesh Pawar, Nilesh Kulkarni, Kiran Powar, Paras Mhambrey, Santosh Saxena, Shriram Kannan, Nishit Shetty, Swapnil Hazare, Amit Dani and Sushant Manjrekar.