MYSORE, Jan 10(UNI):Keen contest awaits between hosts Karnataka and defending champions Mumbai in the Ranji Trophy cricket championships finals to be held in the palace city from tomorrow.
Interestingly enough, for the first time since the Ranji Trophy championships began in 1934, the finals would be played in a moffusil place.
Earlier the final matches of the domestic tournaments were held in the head-quarters of the State Associations.
This time the cricket authorities in the State, has changed their decision and allotted the match here with a view to promote first class cricket in moffusil centres.
It was a dream come true for the cricket lovers in Mysore, as the five-day finals would witness an interesting battle between the the young talented Karnataka team, which has been in rousing form and the experienced Mumbai team.
Karnataka is looking for their seventh Ranji Trophy title, while Mumbai is awaiting their 39th victory.
Incidentally, Mumbai as then Bombay was a force-to-reckon with in Ranji Trophy tournaments and was called as "mecca of Indian cricket", like soccer for West Bengal and hockey forn Punjab in yester year.
Karnataka had been the finalists for eleven times and it won the coveted trophy on six occasions, while Mumbai, which reached the finals on 42 occasions, won the trophy for 38 times.
In the absence of skipper Rahul Dravid, who has been selected for a two-test overseas series against Bangaladesh from January 17, Robin Uthappa would lead the team.
Under Robin's leadership, Karnataka had registered three outright victories in the super-league stage.
Robin and his young team are confident personified and is expected to emerge with flying colours in the important match.
Karnataka's Manish Pandey, who was the second highest scorer of the Ranji Trophy in the country, after Ajinkya Rahane, who scored three centuries in the season and missed his double ton narrowly against Uttar Pradesh in their first encounter.
Along with opener K B Pawan with his two centuries, Satish Ganish, and wicket-keeper batsman C M Gutham also scored a few centuries, ably supported by Amith Varma and captain Robin Uthappa, who also scored half-centuries.
The host bowlers veteran Sunil Joshi, a former test cricketer and R Vinyakumar, did more than adequate justice to their team time and again whenever the situation warranted.
Karnataka's trio pacemen led by R Vinya Kumar, Abhimanu Mithun and Srinath Arvind, had together captured 103 wickets in the tournament so far.
The 25-year-old Vinya kumar with 39 wickets to his credit is the highest wicket take in the country in the season, while the 20-year-old year old Mithun scalped 38 wickets and the left-arm Semaer Aravind, who accounted for 26 wickets, are expected to pose a challenge to the opposition.
Talking to newspersons here, Uthappa and his team coach belives that the pitch looks good and is expected to assist pacers.
The hosts would feel the absence of Dravid, who was an inspiration to the youngsters in the team.
The team, however, is in good nick and either Stuart Binny or B Akhil, would replace the former India captain in the team composition, which would be decided tomorrow morning.
Karnataka played two matches on the same ground, one in the league stage against Bengal and a quarter-final against Punjab.
The hosts will have an additional advantage, as they are in a position to know the condition of the pitch better than the visitors.
Mumbai is looking forward to retain the coveted trophy with an experienced side to back up skipper Wasim Jaffer.