Kolkata: Already assured of a place in the quarterfinals, Bengal will look to get some good match practice when they play Haryana in their last Group ‘C' match of the Elite Ranji Trophy in Rohtak from Thursday. However, the onus will be on Haryana to press for an outright win which is pre mandatory for the hosts to ensure their place in the last-eight stage as the second-best side from this group.
The Ankit Kumar-led Haryana are lying second in the group with 24 points, with Uttarakhand and Services close on the heels at 22 and 19 points, respectively.
It will be easier said than done for the hosts against the high-flying Bengal boys, who are coming on the back of an innings victory against Services.
However, Bengal will be facing completely different conditions in this northern part of the country. In the three games that were played at the venue, spinners have picked 88 wickets while pacers managed just five wickets. Keeping these statistics in mind, Bengal, who played four pacers in the last game, are likely to go in with three spinners and two pacers this time. The team has not yet decided on whether to rest in-form Mohammed Shami, who picked up seven wickets in the last game. In case Shami plays then he will share the new ball with Akash Deep or else Mukesh Kumar will play.
The spin department will be led by all-rounder Shahbaz Ahmed, who is Bengal's second-most successful bowler with 24 wickets so far. The left-arm spinner will be joined by Rahul Prasad while youngster Rohit is likely to make his Ranji debut.
The batting unit is likely to stay the same with the side looking for another great start from the last match's hero Sudip Chatterjee. Bengal skipper Abhimanyu Easwaran will also look to make amends for missing out on a deserving century due to an unfortunate run out against Services. He, however, is not taking the match lightly.
"We will look for another win and end undefeated in the group," Easwaran stated.