Excelsior Sports Correspondent
JAMMU, Oct 14: Despite the fact that J&K faced 10-wicket defeat against Himachal Pradesh in their last outing in Group-C Ranji Trophy match and on the other hand, Services dominated the proceedings against Goa and drew to gain three points via first innings lead in their last outing, it would still be the battle of equals when Jammu and Kashmir takes on almost equally poised Services at GGM Science College Hostel ground, here from tomorrow.
Experienced campaigners Yashapal Singh and Mithun Manhas, besides talented Parvez Rasool and Rajat Paliwal will be the star attractions.
Though, Manhas was out of action in the match against Himachal Pradesh because of some injury he had got in the first match against Kerala in Srinagar, yet it is believed that he may take the field tomorrow and lead the side.
Though, there hasn’t been much quality cricket on this surface from long time now, yet the wicket of the GGM Science College Hostel ground has the reputation of behaving as a true surface in the past as it has witnessed hundreds and big fifties by the batsmen as also 5-wicket hauls by both spinners and the speedsters.
While, on the one side, Services will be banking on their prolific run-getters Rajat Paliwal and Yashpal Singh in batting, besides promising openers Anshul Gupta and Soumik Chatterjee, Jammu and Kashmir on the other hand will be relying on gutsy Ian Dev Singh Chauhan and gritty Parvez Rasool, besides openers Shubham Khajuria and Adil Reshi. Veteran Mithun Manhas, who missed the last match against Himachal Pradesh would also want to prove a point.
In bowling department, J&K would be relying on the trio of Ramdayal Punia, Parvez Rasool and Waseem Raza, while Services will be banking on PS Poonia, who had a 5-wicket haul in the last outing and Diwesh Gurdev Pathania to deliver for their team.
Now, if the chief curator of the Board of Control for Cricket in India (BCCI), Daljeet Singh’s observations that the wicket would probably be on the slower side, will be taken into consideration, then it would be a challenging task for both the teams as to which eleven to be fielded.
Anyway, on paper, both the teams are almost equally balanced and the team which would hold its nerves better in the crunch situations, will be the winner.
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