17 December,2017 11:20 AM IST | Pune | PTI
Mohammed Shami's guile coupled with Ashok Dinda's consistency will be countered by Gautam Gambhir's experience and Rishabh Pant's exuberance when Bengal square off with Delhi in a Ranji Trophy semi-final here today
Mohammed Shami's guile coupled with Ashok Dinda's consistency will be countered by Gautam Gambhir's experience and Rishabh Pant's exuberance when Bengal square off with Delhi in a Ranji Trophy semi-final here today. The match can be safely termed a fight between one of the most potent domestic new ball attacks in the country and a batting line-up that has players who can win matches on their own on a given day.
Gautam Gambhir
An encouraging piece of statistic for Bengal is that they have never ever conceded a first-innings lead against Delhi from 2009-10 season. And not to forget the bitter sweet relation between Bengal captain Manoj Tiwary and Gambhir, who have had their share of run-ins in the past.
India's craftiest red ball bowler Shami will get some serious match time against Gambhir, who has been there and done that for Delhi on numerous occasions. At 36 and with no realistic chance of playing for India again, Gambhir remains an intense cricketer, who has notched up 505 runs this season so far.
Manoj Tiwary
For Bengal, the presence of another Test regular Wriddhiman Saha, who is a domestic giant, makes it for an exciting contest despite the absence of regular skipper cum pace spearhead Ishant Sharma from the opposition line-up. On a Maharashtra CA Stadium track, which has traditionally been a batting belter, both teams would like to pile on the runs and put the pressure on the opposition.
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