Kolkata: Bihar face a stern test against Baroda in their Ranji Trophy Elite Group A clash at Reliance Cricket Ground in Vadodara, starting Sunday, as head coach Ashutosh Aman looks to inspire a comeback through mental resilience after a crushing opening-round defeat.Bihar, who earned promotion to the Elite Group after winning the Plate championship last season, endured a disappointing return to the top tier, losing to Uttar Pradesh by an innings and 267 runs at Rajgir International Cricket Stadium.Baroda, meanwhile, arrive brimming with confidence after defeating Goa by an innings and 135 runs, underlining their strength with both bat and ball.Aman believes Bihar have the talent to recover but insists his players must put the opening setback behind them and improve their application in the longer format.“The most important thing was to discuss the mistakes we made in the last match and identify the areas where we could have done better. We do not get much time for on-field preparation between two matches, so we have mainly focused on the mental aspect,” Aman told STOI from Vadodara.“In red-ball cricket, the mental aspect is extremely important. The mentally tougher a player is, the better he will perform,” he added.Bihar’s batting will need significant improvement after managing only 141 and 132 (following on) against Uttar Pradesh. Captain Sakibul Gani, a consistent performer in domestic cricket, will be crucial to their revival. Aman believes a substantial contribution from his skipper could lift the entire team.“Gani is a good player and one of the main pillars of our batting. He has been performing consistently for a long time. If he scores runs, it gives the team confidence. When the captain is in a positive frame of mind, things generally go well,” the coach added.Bihar, though, will be without pacer Shakib Hussain, who has travelled to the BCCI Centre of Excellence in Bengaluru for rehabilitation after a side strain that also ruled him out of the opening match. Under-23 captain and spin-bowling all-rounder Aditya Raj has replaced him in the squad for this game.Baroda’s challenge extends beyond their formidable batting depth, which runs well into the lower order. Off-spinner Mahesh Pithiya, whose bowling action resembles that of Ravichandran Ashwin, crossed 100 first-class wickets in the previous round. He was also named Player of the Match against Goa after claiming nine wickets for 124 runs.Aman expects the Vadodara pitch to favour batting initially, with some assistance for fast bowlers early and spinners as the match progresses. Bihar will need patience, discipline and sustained application to challenge a confident Baroda side and get their campaign back on track.
