That start-of-term feeling

"As domestic cricket goes, nothing is bigger than the Ranji Trophy final. This is also a big game, but a Ranji final is more special to me," said Rahul Dravid, fresh from a stint on the massage table. Sourav Ganguly was set to arrive in Chennai at 11.40am, 2.40pm, 7.00pm and finally 11.40pm, depending on which person you spoke to. When Ganguly had not yet arrived by the late afternoon and practice was under way, Dravid emerged to speak to the press. Dravid himself was not at his best and looked a touch tired. "I had a bit of stiffness in the quadriceps, something I picked up in the first game of the Challenger series," he said. "But I'm feeling good and I should be OK."

For Sachin Tendulkar, the fact that he was playing for Mumbai made this game worth it. "Each match has its own way of helping you pick up your performance. Playing for Mumbai obviously has its own touch to it. After all I made my first-class debut for Mumbai," he said. In his inimitable eloquent manner he underscored the importance of playing in the Challenger series: "Whether it's India A or India B or India Seniors, it's always good to compete against the best. This Challenger series was very challenging and thrilling."

Apparently Ganguly was delayed because he was shooting a television programme in Mumbai. Anil Kumble was the other absentee in the Rest of India team. He had some personal matters to attend to in Bangalore, but was set to arrive well in time to play the game. Dravid also clarified, to the best of his ability, that Zaheer Khan was suffering from a niggle in the back and was going through a fitness workout late in the afternoon.

"Obviously it's always tough to play against Mumbai. They're also going to be upbeat and keen," said Dravid, looking forward to the game. He was very keen to get back to playing the longer version of the game: "At the end of the first day someone has to remind us that the game goes on the next day and we don't start afresh," he said. "It's been about ten months since we've played a five-day game and it's nice to get back to playing the longer version."

Tendulkar in turn had a word of advice for the youngsters playing in this match: "Don't put yourself under pressure. Concentrate on the present moment. It's crucial to maintain your focus on what's happening today, not think five days ahead and worry about what might happen."

While there was much hype about the Tendulkar-Ganguly captaincy clash, Tendulkar played things down. "This is not about individuals. It's Mumbai versus Rest of India. That's how we look at it."

With Ganguly not around yet, this match has already been robbed of some pre-match jousting.