As the 2015-16 Ranji Trophy has just started, like other teams, Bengal are also set to improve their domestic status by improving their performances. Last year, they were inches away from being relegated after finishing eighth among the nine teams in their group. Though their domestic performances have not been good enough for almost a decade now, the state team has seen some good talent emerging out of their ranks.
In this season, the two-time Ranji champions are placed in Group A along with Karnataka, Delhi, Maharashtra, Vidarbha, Rajasthan, Odisha, Assam and Haryana. So there is no doubt that they will face some tough challenges in the coming days. For this reason, they already have made several changes in their personnel.
Sairaj Bahutule is the newly-appointed head coach of the team, while former Bengal pacer Ranadeb Bose has taken charge as assistant coach. Manoj Tiwary has been appointed as the captain after Laxmi Ratan Shukla refused to take the responsibility for this season. However, the team’s biggest gain has been Pragyan Ojha, whjo joined Bengal after moving out from Hyderabad side, which is surely going to give a boost to the whole team for this season.
The well-balanced bowling attack
Bengal's main strength is their bowling line-up. They have some really good bowlers, including Ashok Dinda, Mohammed Shami, who can turn the tables for their side on their day. With Pragyan Ojha on their side,, the spin attack too has got some sting and along with Aamir Gani can rattle the rivals. Even Laxmi Ratan Shukla as an additional pacer and Manoj Tiwary as a leg-spinner can give good support to the team.
Experienced batting line-up but inconsistency a problem
The team has some good, resilient and experienced batsmen, including as Manoj Tiwary, Wriddhiman Saha and Laxmi Ratan Shukla along with some young talents. But inconsistency is a bane, which has put them in trouble in the recent past. They have failed to convert into good starts. They must have bring discipline to their batting line-up for finding success in the tournament.
Fielding a bane
Fielding is the one of the biggest headache. This is the area where they need to a lot of improvement. In the past, they have missed so many catches because of which they have lost so many matches. They need to do a serious thinking on this.
Need to focus
In the last 10 years or so, it has been observed that the Bengal players quickly tend to lose their focus from the game. At times, they made big issues out of small and silly things. As a result, they lost their momentum and missed out on some important points which cost them dear.
Justice to the talent
Justice to talent can lead a team towards success, which this domestic side had failed to do in the recent past. The selection committee had failed to give enough chances to some talented players, who left Bengal, hitting hard on the team’s chances.
Unity in the team
Conflict between senior and junior players was revealed in the recent past. If media reports are to be believed, even the current relationship between the players and the management is not healthy. Unity leads to success and Bengal need to learn that.
