Ranji Trophy: Punjab starts favourite against a desperate Andhra

A promising beginning, followed by a sudden slump. For Andhra, that has been the story of its Ranji Trophy campaign so far.

Punjab, though, has travelled in the opposite direction, finding its feet after an opening-round draw.

As the two teams prepare to face each other in the fourth round of the Ranji Trophy Elite Group B at the Maharaja Yadavindra Singh Stadium here on Monday, there is plenty at stake.

Andhra began its season by taking the fight to former champion Karnataka, securing a first-innings lead before Karun Nair’s unbeaten 155 in the second essay ensured the contest ended in a draw at Vijayawada.

Punjab, meanwhile, took the first-innings lead against Assam in its opener.

But the next two rounds brought contrasting fortunes to both teams. Andhra suffered a heavy 267-run defeat at the hands of Hyderabad before Chhattisgarh added to its misery with a five-wicket victory on the final day.

Having played all three matches in familiar conditions at home, the two defeats would have been particularly disappointing for Andhra, which now faces the challenge of arresting the slide in its first away fixture.

Punjab, on the other hand, bounced back with a seven-wicket victory over Chhattisgarh before securing another first-innings lead against Hyderabad.

The host has had several players contributing to its encouraging run, with Salil Arora leading the way with three successive centuries. Skipper Uday Saharan, Prabhsimran Singh and Vihaan Malhotra have also been among the runs.

The visitor, too, has had individual contributions, notably from batter S.V. Rahul and left-arm orthodox spinner Lalith Mohan.

With 12 points from three matches, Punjab finds itself in a far better position than Andhra, which has just three.

Playing at home and with confidence on its side, Punjab will start as favourite. For Andhra, though, the question is whether a new venue will bring about a change in fortunes.

The next four days will provide the answer.