Aware that another listless display could result in the teambeing shown the door, the Goan Ranji team will have to work on their battingweaknesses and at least overhaul the first innings totals of their opponents.
Following their inability to overhaul their first inningstotal in their fifth match, Goa dropped to the seventh spot with 8 points. Theyplay their next match on Dec 15 in Porvorim against Himachal Pradesh who areahead in the table with 11 points. Even if Goa wins their next three matches,they will hope that Services, the group leaders, Jharkhand and Andhra Pradeshperform below par.
“We have to win outright in our next three matches whichwill then help us qualify as one of the two top team for the quarter final,”said Goan skipper Shadab Jakati.
Goa has not won a single match and have been largelysatisfied by overhauling the first innings score of their opponents which theyachieved against Jammu and Kashmir and Kerala.
In the recently concluded match against Services the grouptopper, Goa let their opponents score 473 runs on a flat pitch. Yashpal Singh,a promising batsman of Service scored 166 runs not out. He averages 64 in just77 Ranji matches.
Goa manged to score 381runs in their first inning buttrailed by 92 runs. Former skipper Swapnil Asnodkar scored 74, Ravikant Sukla78 and Rohit Asnodkar 83.
“We could have batted much better on a flat surface but acouple of wrong decisions cost us dearly,” said Jakati. He said the team wouldhave to pull up their socks in their match against Himachal Pradesh at home toensure that they atleast finish on adecent note in the event they do not qualify for the quarterfinals.
