Rest hold the edge

The Rest bowling, however, looks pretty sketchy. Leg spinner Laxman Sivaramakrishnan gets another opportunity to turn the clock back and re-live those glory days of the mid-80s. Mumbai medium-pacer Paras Mhambrey, who was once again given international exposure recently, failed to come good at Kuala Lumpur. He, along with Delhi8217;s Robin Singh Jr, is expected to share the new ball. None of the bowlers, including Gavaskar, Rajesh Pawar, Sanjay Raul and Nikhil Chopra, will give sleepless nights to any first class batting line-up, and it is here that the Rest team needs cover.

The home team, with VenkateshPrasad and Dodda Ganesh as the medium-pacers and India8217;s best left-arm spinner currently, Sunil Joshi, has a better bowling combination. The support, however, is not very impressive, though left-arm spinner Anand Katti is a bowler of promise.

Sujith Somasundar, J Arunkumar, Fazal Khaleel and the main prop of the line-up, Vijay Bharadwaj are all capable batsmen for the home team. All rounder Joshi and HT Girish Rao along with wicket-keeper Somashekar Shiruguppi are the support cast of the batting.

On paper Rest have the edge. But Karnataka are capable of rising to the occasion.

The teams from: Karnataka:

Venkatesh Prasad captain, Sujith Somasundar, Arun Kumar, Fazal Khaleel, Vijay Bharadwaj, Girish Rao, A Vijay, Sunil Joshi, Siraguppi wicketkeeper, DS Ananth, Ganesh, Anand Katti, Rajshekar Shanbal, Mansoor Ali Khan.

Rest of India:

VVS Laxman captain, Amol Majumdar, Jyothi Yadav, Devang Gandhi, Rohan Gavaskar, Sharath, MSK Prasad WK, Nikhil Chopra, Robin Singh Jr, Paras Mhambrey,Madhukar, L Sivaramakrishnan, Sanjay Rawl, Rajesh Pawar.

Umpires:

BA Jamula Mumbai, Jasbir Singh Punjab. Match referee:

MJ Limaye Baroda

Hours of play:9.30 to 12; 12.40 to 2.40; 3.00 to 4.30