Ranji Trophy: Kerala and Odisha eye a turnaround after chastening opening round results

Kerala will look for an early course correction as it returns to familiar home terrain against Odisha in a second round match of the Ranji Trophy at the Sports Hub Greenfield stadium here on Sunday.

Kerala’s season opener against Jharkhand in Jamshedpur was chastening as it was thoroughly dominated by its rival. Though Kerala followed-on, it managed to hang on for a draw. But the match exposed Kerala’s limitations in both batting and bowling. It allowed Jharkhand’s lower order to prosper as the host piled up a huge first innings total.

Kerala’s familiar top-order collapse on a flat track, after Abhishek P. Nair’s attacking century, is a major cause of concern. Mohammed Azharuddeen’s lean patch with the bat has continued in this season as well.

However, Abhishek’s century, Aditya Sarvate’s rearguard knock and Vaisakh Chandran’s five-wicket haul were the big takeaways for Kerala from the opening fixture.

To shore up its batting, Kerala has included under-23 captain Abhishek J. Nair who recently lashed an unbeaten ton against Pondicherry. The host will look to maximise its home advantage against Odisha which suffered a crushing 10-wicket defeat in its opening match against Gujarat.

While Odisha had its moments against Gujarat, a second innings collapse on the final day cost it the match. The visitor will be looking for an improved show against the host.

However, the weather may have a decisive say in the outcome of the match. With the arrival of the North East monsoon in Kerala, the capital city has been experiencing steady rainfall for the last few days.

Heavy rain forced the teams to cancel their net sessions on Saturday and with the forecast for more showers in the coming days, the weather could very well play spoilsport.