Chennai, April 1 :     Descending from the Nilgiris into the bustling state capital may well be like stepping out of an air-conditioned building on a mid-summer afternoon, but for defending champions Bengal, heat is not the heart of the matter. Three days is apparently time enough to adjust to the 25 degree rise in temperature. Barring Amit Das, whose troubled right-leg hamstring made him skip training, everybody is fit and available. An upbeat Bengal, it can be said, are ready for tomorrow?s semi-final against three-time champions Kerala in the 55th national football championship for the Bharat Petroleum Santosh Trophy. The sojourn in the hills, Sudip Chatterjee, who along with Shankar Banerjee is the team?s coach, said has helped the players recover from the hurly-burly of the National League. ?They look fresh and focussed,? he said, after the morning knockabout, at the upmarket team hotel today. Chatterjee, in line for a hattrick of Santosh Trophy triumphs, added that he is looking forward to a repeat of the performance against Manipur in Udhagamandalam. ?They made a tough match look very easy that day,? he said of the 4-1 rout. Aiming for an unprecedented sixth successive title, Bengal have brought to this tournament an array of stars. Such is the strength of the team that even I. M. Vijayan could be ignored, though captain Bhaichung Bhutia said the mercurial striker?s presence would have been more of a help than hindrance. Barring Prashanta Dora ? who is again likely to be preferred over SAFF Cup probable Kalyan Chowbey ? everyone was with either Mohun Bagan or East Bengal. Bhaichung didn?t agree that a line-up studded with famous names induced its own pressure. Such is Bengal?s domination of this tournament that anything but the top spot will be termed an upset. The Bengal captain, in good form with three goals from two quarter finals, also felt not training together would not be a handicap as the competition gets hotter. ?Because we all know each other?s game.? What could disadvantage Bengal, he said, is Amit Das? likely absence from the starting line-up. Soumitra Chakraborty and Khemthang Paite are being talked about as replacements. Kerala are looking to bit of history and a nothing-to-lose attitude to shock the heavyweights. That Bengal lost to them in the quarter-final group league two years ago in Jabalpur is being remembered. Coach M. M. Jacob, a former India midfielder, said the bulk of the players are from the State Bank of Travancore. Four ? captain K. V. Dhanesh, Naushad, Mohammed Najeeb and A. S. Ferose ? represent F. C. Kochin. Regular goalie Ferose Sharief got injured while preparing for this meet and has been replaced by Nelson. In the absence of Suresh Kumar ? suspended ? Dhanesh is set to be moved to the left of the defence. Completing the quartet will be central defenders Jiju Jacob, Ferose and Martin Matthews. Boniface, whose powerful long-ranger took Kerala past Maharashtra ? ?That win has lifted our spirits,? Jacob said ? is likely to be partnered by Naushad and Sunil in the midfield. Promising Mallapuram teenager Asif Sahir who has already scored seven goals will be the key man in attack. Kerala beat Bihar 5-0 and Nagaland 2-1 in the cluster matches. They notched up en route to the semi-final 3-0 and 2-1 wins over Assam and Maharashtra respectively.