Duleep Trophy 2016 Final Preview: India Blue holds all the cards

The final of this historic edition of the Duleep Trophy will see Yuvraj Singh and Gautam Gambhir face off for one last time at Noida. Once teammates, both these immensely talented left-handers have now found themselves back in the labyrinth of the domestic circuit that they began with all those years ago. With the Noida wicket expected to assist the batsmen, it seems clear that a mouthwatering encounter is more than certain when these two sides take on each other.

Pitch Conditions:

The wicket at Noida has certainly had its fair share of grass on. However, with three matches already completed, the pitch has become all the more conducive to the spinners. That said, the batsmen will be hoping to thrive on a surface such as this.

Team Analysis-

India Blue:

On paper, India Blue most definitely has the best batting unit. Moreover, Gautam Gambhir’s team has received a boost with the likes of Rohit Sharma and Ravindra Jadeja making their way in. With most of the players having been involved with the Indian team in the recent past, it is clear that they will be the overwhelming favorites when it comes to predicting a winner for the match.

However, in spite of all this, the spotlight will be on Mayank Agarwal. With a massive amount of runs under his belt already, many have tipped the youngster to go ahead and make a case for himself in the Indian team. Mohit Sharma will also be hoping for a good outing with the ball in a make-or-break match.

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India Red:

While the India Blue team has most of the stars, the India Red team is a younger bunch of players. In effect, they are the cream of the domestic circuit in India. Similar to their opponents on the day, India Red will be buoyed by the arrival of opener Shikhar Dhawan into the grand scheme of things. They will be hoping that the opener adds some solidity to the side.

In spite of this, India Blue will have their eyes on two of their opponent’s bowlers. While Kuldeep Yadav has impressed the most being the leading wicket-taker, Nathu Singh has managed to let the ball do most of the talking in the matches he has featured in thus far.

Playing XI-

Also read – Yuvraj Singh concedes difficulties in playing spin with the pink ball

StAttack:

1. Cheteshwar Pujara requires 19 runs to complete 10,000 runs in first-class cricket.

2. Mohit Sharma requires 5 wickets to complete 100 first-class wickets.