With in-form Sharma back in side, Jaffer hopes to press for a bonus point against Gujarat.
Mumbai skipper Wasim Jaffer is confident and why not? He has his full side with no injuries and a sporting track at the Valsad Cricket Stadium waiting for his team. The stylish batsman is upbeat about his team’s chances as they meet Gujarat in the fifth round of the Ranji Trophy Super League tie that begins on Wednesday.
The last four matches the defending champions played were on patta (flat) tracks with three matches ending in a draw and Mumbai winning the game against Railways last week. Not to forget that rain played spoilsport against Assam with only two and half day’s play possible.
Jaffer said that Mumbai stands a chance to register their second outright win with most of its players fit. Even Rohit Sharma, who sat out against Railways with a boil in the groin region, is back in the side.
“I have played here and Valsad stadium is known for its sporting track. We have our full strength and a balanced side. Hence, we stand a good chance. The wicket looks good and result will be quite possible here,” Jaffer said on the eve of the game.
The last time Mumbai played Gujarat , the result was a high scoring draw at the Brabourne Stadium with Sharma scoring a triple hundred. “Rohit has been one of our main players and is in great form. His performance is important for us to win the game.”
However, one thing that affects Mumbai is its inconsistent batting.
Twice they have faltered in the last two games. After getting a good start, they had to struggle their way through.
Jaffer admitted that his batsmen need to finish the game once they are settled. “In the match against Railways, Ajinkya got a good 94, but once he got out, the whole team crumbled.
“The same happened against Assam when Abhishek Nayar’s ton almost went in vain before Ajit (Agarkar) and Dhawal (Kulkarni) bailed the team out with their partnership. I think that is the area we have to work on.” Though Gujarat, who lack stars in the line-up, will go in as the underdogs, Mumbai cannot afford to take any chances.
Gujarat has some experienced players like Parthiv Patel, Bhavik Thaker and Neeraj Patel. And on their day, they can be a dangerous side, who can steal three points and put the opposition in a sticky position.
Mumbai, on top of the table with 14 points, would be looking to win with a bonus point, which would heavily boost their morale. Meanwhile, Gujarat are third with 10 points from four games with one win and three draws.
Mumbai: Wasim Jaffer (C), Ajinkya Rahane, Sahil Kukreja, Rohit Sharma, Prashant Naik, Omkar Gurav (wk), Harmeet Singh, Ramesh Powar, Abhishek Nayar, Praful Waghela, Iqbal Abdulla, Javed Khan, Dhaval Kulkarni, Ajit Agarkar, Murtuza Hussain
Gujarat: Parthiv Patel (C & wk), Rohit Dahiya, Pratharesh Parmar, Priyank Kirit Panchal, Ishwar Choudhary, Rajdeep Darbar, Jay Desai, Neeraj Patel, Bhavik Thaker, Ashraf Makda, Jayesh Makla, Mohnish Parmar, Sahil Patel, Siddharth Trivedi, Salil Yadav
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