The stage is all set for Wednesday’s high-octane ODI between India and New Zealand in Ranchi. While the men in blue, led by MSD, sweated it out at the Dhurwa greens on a pleasant Tuesday afternoon, the Kiwis under Kane Williamson opened practice at the stadium earlier in the day. Dhoni, who may well be playing his last ODI in hometown as skipper, was found to be in good touch at the nets. A captain’s knock of 80 in the last match, where he batted up the order, seems to have helped him regain form and fans are likely to have a field day when he hits pitch. A.S.R.P. Mukesh offers us a preview of match day.
♦ Match starts: 1.30pm
♦ Gates open: Noon
♦ Gates close: 3pm
♦ Expected crowd: 30,000-plus
♦ Cover drive: 900 men and women in uniform, 200 of them officers, to guard JSCA stadium premises. Ranchi SSP Kuldeep Dwivedi visited Dhurwa on Tuesday to inspect the security detail
♦ What to carry: Only purse/wallet and mobile phones
♦ Refreshments: From the appetising aloo samosa to south Indian snacks and Chinese fast food, you will get it all for a price inside the stadium
♦ Team talk: “We hope to seal the series by winning in the skipper’s hometown. Mahi (Dhoni) is in form and Virat (Kohli) is going great guns. It was a great learning experience for junior members... watching them build the innings and partnership in the last match. If Mahi wants to bat up the order again, my role will be of a finisher. I am training hard for the role,” said Hardik Pandya, India.
“The ground looks good; the pitch has less grass compared to Mohali. If batting first, we hope to put up a good total to defend it. There were some issues with partnerships and batting order; we are working on that,” Tom Latham, New Zealand.
♦ Fan gallery: Sudhir Kumar Gautam and Ram Babu, diehard fans of Sachin Tendulkar and M.S. Dhoni, respectively, reached Ranchi on Tuesday to cheer Team India.
Hailing from Muzaffarpur, Sudhir has been following Tendulkar and Team India in all formats of the game for over a decade. He waved the Tricolour with gusto even at the net practice. “If I don’t die tonight, tomorrow (Wednesday) I will be watching my 276th ODI,” chuckled Sudhir, adding that his passion had taken him to 50 Tests, four T20 ties, 63 IPLs and three Ranji matches so far.
Ram Babu, on the other hand, has pledged his undying love for Dhoni and will watch the 151st ODI on Wednesday. The Mohali man has also waved the Tiranga at 30 Tests and 50 T20s. Lucky charm perhaps, Dhoni ensures he gets a ticket to every match Team India plays in the country. And, when in Ranchi, the ardent fan is hosted in MSD’s farmhouse no less.
