Baroda look to break semi-final jinx

For the last three years Baroda has made it to the last four, but failed to reach the final of the Ranji Trophy. But this time they have one man in the dressing room who knows a thing or two about the title bout. Coach Paras Mhambrey came to Baroda this season with a huge reputation of helping Bengal reach two finals in two years. And on the eve of his team’s semi-final game against Delhi he is hopeful that 2008 will provide the ‘leap’ for this new team.

But for the former Mumbai player to make it a personal hat-trick of final appearances, he has to first deal with a strong Delhi batting line-up. And considering that the Usha Raje Stadium pitch has a greenish tinge, he doesn’t quite have the resources to take advantage of the conditions. With spinners Yousuf Pathan and Rajesh Pawar, who have picked 25 and 20 wickets respectively this season, being his trump cards the excitement about pacy track is missing. Baroda have in their ranks medium-pacer Sumit Singh (15 wickets) and old warhorse Irfan Pathan Sr, but still they would certainly miss the one Pathan who is on national duty in Australia.

And that’s the reason Mhambrey is banking on the pitch to slow down gradually. “I think the wicket will settle down later, certainly it has grass in it and there is bit of moisture too,” he said.

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Delhi too face a similar problem. The two men who would have relished pace-friendly conditions are miles away from this cricketing backyard. Ishant Sharma is in Sydney and even the find of this season—left-arm pacer Pradeep Sangwan—is in South Africa with the India under-19 squad.

Delhi’s strength is their batting. Names like Gautam Gambhir (466 in 3 matches), Shikhar Dhawan, (454 in 6 matches), Aakash Chopra (645 in 7 matches) and Mithun Manhas (465 in 6 matches) in the playing XI, would give sleepless nights to any bowling attack.

But Baroda skipper Connor Williams says, “We have to win this time, friend, and we are hoping as well as praying.”