Punjab hoping to dethrone Baroda

A keen tussle for supremacy is on the cards when champions Baroda take on Punjab in the five-day Ranji Trophy semi-final, in Baroda, from Wednesday.

Punjab, who had lost to Railways in the semi-finals last year, are banking on their star performers -- Dinesh Mongia, Yuvraj Singh and off-spinner Harbhajan Singh, all of whom had done well in the quarter-final against Orissa last week, Punjab manager S Kapoor said after the team's nets session on Tuesday morning.

"Last year, we missed the services of Mongia, Yuvraj Singh and Harbhajan as they were doing duty for the country in Zimbabwe and we lost to Railways in the semi-finals. This time around we have all three players and I am sure Punjab will put up a good show," Kapoor added.

"Punjab has shown its true potential in the league and quarter-final stages with authoritative wins," Kapoor said.

"We play as a cohesive unit and contribute in our own way to make a good impact. All I can say is we have a well-balanced side and a side eager to perform," he added.

Railways keen to overcome Bengal hurdle

A modest but superior Railways will be keen to overcome Bengal when they meet in a do-or-die Ranji Trophy semi-final in Delhi on Wednesday.

After a lot of speculation on whether India captain Sourav Ganguly would be available for the Bengal team following viral fever that kept him bed-ridden since Thursday, it was finally announced that he will indeed play in the match.

His presence will undoubtedly add an altogether different colour to the match, a fact conceded by both teams.

Rohan Gavaskar, who led Bangal into the semi-finals after eight years, said Ganguly's presence will mean a lot to the team that has done "exceptionally so far in reaching the semis".

"His presence will boost the morale of the team. If he gets going he can win the match single-handedly for us with both the bat and the ball," he said.

But Railways refuse to be overawed.

A more balanced team than their rivals, the hosts have thrived on team-effort and have got past teams like Tamil Nadu which had six to seven internationals in its ranks.

"Ganguly's presence will be an added incentive for both teams to perform well. But we are not too worried about him. There are eleven players in the Bengal team and we will treat him as one of them," Railways skipper Abhay Sharma said after nets in the morning at the Karnail Singh stadium.

Mail Cricket Editor