Rain threatens Saurashtra-Assam clash

Rain may once again come in the way of last season's runners-up Saurashtra when they face a struggling Assam in the clash of two bottom-placed teams in group B of the Ranji Trophy here tomorrow.
A depression over Bay of Bengal has caused intermittent showers for two days and there's forecast for more and both the teams will keep a watch on the sky with a first innings lead being a realistic target if four days' play is not possible.
Saurashtra have been unlucky on a couple of occasions and are still searching for their first outright win. They find themselves ahead of bottom-placed Assam on six points from three matches.

Rain had denied them an outright win in their lung-opener against Rajasthan who secured a draw following-on.
In the previous match, Saurashtra missed left-arm pacer Jaydev Unadkat as Maharashtra, following on with a deficit of 475 runs, escaped with a draw with 345/8 at close.
A fit-again Unadkat, who was down with fever, will return to bolster the pace attack of Saurashtra but now rain has come to haunt them again.

"We could have got wins there but there was rain in the match against Rajasthan. We have been unlucky and got three from each match. There's rain here again," captain Jaydev Shah said.

Fresh from his 217 against Maharashtra, the middle-order batsman is in sublime form this season with 474 runs from three matches at an average of 118.50.
"Let's hope that there's play and we will look to put a big score," he said.
While batting has been their strength, the return of Unadkat will certainly boost their attack against Assam who have lost three matches (Delhi, Rajasthan and Karnataka) and remain on one point from four matches.