File photo of Vijay Hazare Trophy Match
Uttar Pradesh would aim to accelerate their win throttle when they take on charged-up Himachal Pradesh in the Quarter Final 1 of the Vijay Hazare Trophy on Tuesday. The game will be played at Sawai Mansingh Stadium, Jaipur, and the action will begin at 9:00 AM (IST).
While Himachal had made a direct entry to the quarterfinals, Uttar Pradesh secured a hard-fought five wicket win over Madhya Pradesh on Sunday to make the last-eight stage.
Uttar Pradesh will rely on their experienced campaigner Akshdeep Nath, who played a vital role in the team’s win over MP.
But, he would need support from his top-order colleagues -- especially openers Madhav Kaushik and young wicket-keeper Aryan Juyal, skipper Karan Sharma and Sameer Rizvi.
If all of them fire in unison, the Himachal bowlers will have a tough time.
Another important cog in UP’s wheel is aggressive left-handed batter Rinku Singh, who took the side home against MP.
Their formidable bowling attack is led by ace India speedster Bhuvneshwar Kumar and includes Ankit Rajpoot, 24-year-old Yash Dayal and Shivam Mavi.
Slow left-arm bowler Shivam Sharma will also be keen to play a part.
UP are unlikely to tinker with their winning combination.
For Himachal, their biggest asset is skipper Rishi Dhawan, who is a bowling all-rounder and can contribute with both the bat and ball.
But Dhawan would need support from his top-order batters, which comprises wicket-keeper Shubham Arora, Prashant Chopra, Nikhil Gangta and left-handed Amit Thakur.
Left-arm orthodox spinner Mayank Dagar will play a key role for Himachal, along with skipper Dhawan.
While Uttar Pradesh will have the edge, they would not want to take Himachal lightly in what promises to be an interesting match.
- With inputs from PTI
