Ranji Trophy: Bengal sans Dinda on look out for elusive win against Madhya Pradesh
Manoj Tiwary has a task on against Madhya Pradesh with strike-bowler Ashok Dinda not in the Bengal squad.
It will be a contest between a depleted Bengal bowling attack in the absence of speedster Ashok Dinda and Madhya Pradesh's batting prowess when the two teams meet in the Ranji Trophy Group A match here tomorrow.
Manoj Tiwary-led Bengal side missed out on an opportunity to register an outright win in their previous outing against Gujarat as they failed to pick up the remaining six wickets of the visitors' second innings on the last day of the match to end-up with just three points.
And without their premiere bowler Dinda, who was called in as cover for injured Umesh Yadav in the Indian team for the ongoing second Test against England at Mumbai, it remains to be seen how Bengal shape up for the tie against the hosts.
If Dinda is not released ahead of the match, young Veer Pratap Singh is likely make a comeback to the playing XI after being left out in the last tie.
However, the choice will depend on the kind of wicket that is on offer, as Bengal, who have six points from three ties, may look to play an additional spinner in their ranks.
Bengal amassed a huge first innings total against Gujarat in the previous match, but a no show from their openers will certainly be a cause of worry for Tiwary.
Madhya Pradesh, on the other hand, have only been good in patches. Though, their batsmen have performed reasonably well in the championship so far, their inability to fire in unison has let the team down.
Come Saturday, Devendra Bundela's boys will be eager to shed their inconsistency and look for win against Bengal that has eluded them in the past three outings.
Madhya Pradesh returned with just one point from their game against Gujarat, while in their second tie they took an early lead against Hyderabad to get three points.
And in their last encounter against defending champions Rajasthan, they had to be content with just a point.
Though the consolation for the team remains that it has not lost a match in the season so far unlike their rivals, who were drubbed by Punjab.