Cuttack: Orissa cricketer Natraj Behera said Tuesday that openers (he and Sandeep Patnaik) will need to contribute to the team cause, in their upcoming match against two-time champions Tamil Nadu which begins at the DRIEMS ground, November 9.
“If you see, we have failed to give a good start in the matches this season. Orissa have the ability to beat every side, however, we have not been able to perform as expected. Hopefully we will come good against Tamil Nadu,” stated the opener after a training session, Tuesday. Natraj himself has not been among runs and will need a big innings under his belt to retain his place in the squad.
Meanwhile, Orissa skipper Govind Poddar exuded confidence about a good show. “The last match against Mumbai is history now. We will start afresh against Tamil Nadu. As this is our last home game, we will play positively and try and get as many points as possible,” said Poddar, who has already got a century and 80-plus score.
Orissa coach Shiv Sundar Das is also confident of a good show. “Govind, Biplab (Samantray), Basant (Mohanty) and Shantanu (Mishra) are in good form. If the rest chip in, then we can certainly expect something good against Tamil Nadu,” stated Shiv
Meanwhile, Tamil Nadu all-rounder Vijay Shankar said that the game will be good contest. “We have played here (DRIEMS Ground) before. The pitch, outfield and weather are quite good here. So expecting a good contest,” Vijay said.
The Tamil Nadu side is a formidable outfit with the likes of Murali Vijay, Abhinav Mukund, Baba Aparajith and Baba Inderjit in batting. If Dinesh Karthik (currently with the Indian team) joins up, it will definitely be a huge bonus for the side. Star offie Ravichandran Ashwin is expected to join the side Wednesday. Also one should not forget the excitable talent of Washington Sundar. On paper, they certainly appear a much stronger side than the hosts.
Rajesh Dhupar, who was a part of the U-23 Orissa side will join the side Wednesday. According to team physio, Ranjit Singh is also fit to play. Sources indicated he might be included in this game.
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