VVS Laxman was the batting consultant of CAB’s Vision Project when Bengal last qualified for the Ranji Trophy semi-finals in 2017-18.
Laxman was quite optimistic of the team’s prospects in the semis then, although Bengal’s campaign ended after they were handed a thrashing by Delhi.
This time Bengal will play their last-four stage encounter at home — Eden Gardens — but they are up against a stiffer opposition in the form of Karnataka who tend to lift their game especially in the knockout phases. On top of that, they have India players like KL Rahul and Manish Pandey in their ranks.
But Laxman, continuing with his role, remains upbeat about Bengal’s chances to cross the semis hurdle. According to him, prevailing in nail-biting matches versus Rajasthan and Punjab keeps Bengal in good stead as well in a stronger frame of mind.
“It’s great to see Bengal qualify for the semi-finals. If you see the last few games, all of them have had a nail-biting finish. They were all close games.
“This Bengal side faced tough challenges in each of the matches and it’s great to see all the players put up such a great fight. It was also great to see everyone contributing to those victories.
“That is really important especially when you go into a semi-final against a quality side,” the former India batsman told The Telegraph on Tuesday, before boarding a flight back to Hyderabad from Mumbai.
Along with seniors like Manoj Tiwary, Anustup Majumdar and Sreevats Goswami, young Shahbaz Ahmed too has played a pivotal role with brilliant all-round display. Laxman, however, doesn’t want to focus on individuals as he feels team effort will be the key for Bengal to make the final.
“If you have to beat any quality side in a semi-final or a final to win a prestigious title like the Ranji Trophy, you want contributions from everybody. You can’t just depend on one or two players.
“These guys have prepared well. Right since the off-season training… all of them have been working very hard and it’s always a pleasure working with this set of players.
“Not only are they talented, they are hardworking and always willing to learn and improve. I am sure they will play to their potential and all the hard work they have put in will help them reap rewards,” Laxman added.
The squad for the semis versus Karnataka remains unchanged, while the team management is confident of pacer Akash Deep’s return to the XI.
“Akash Deep is much better and there’s a good possibility of his getting back to the side,” head coach Arun Lal said.
He insisted that Bengal are unfazed despite the presence of the two India players in the Karnataka squad. “Even we have players who are good enough.
“Look, we are not thinking about the opposition at all. If we do so, it might make things tougher for us. We are concentrating only on our strengths,” Lal stressed.
