TN takes on Bengal with eye on first win

: Tamil Nadu will take on Bengal in a crucial Ranji Trophy Elite Group 'B' match at the M A Chidambaram stadium beginning here Wednesday, with both teams eyeing their first win of the season.

The B Indrajith-led team has five points from three matches, all affected by the vagaries of the weather and will hope for a full game.

The Tamil Nadu batsmen have been among the runs but the bowlers have found the going tough. The first innings could not be completed in two matches (against Madhya Pradesh and Hyderabad) and they managed to secure the lead and three points against Andhra.

Experienced southpaw Abhinav Mukund has been among the runs along with N Jagadeesan, while the skipper himself has been in middling form.

Back on home teritorry, Tamil Nadu will be aiming for a win and full points against Bengal (on 6 points), which is coming off a chastening defeat against Kerala, the group topper, in its previous game.

Speaking ahead of the match, Indrajith said the team was taking it one game at a time and added that there would be opportunities to push for an outright win.

"We are taking it one game at a time. I have told my boys to treat it as an away match. Just because it happens to be a home game, we can't hope to go for an outright win.

"Only three matches have been played so far and five more are remaining. I feel two outright wins can help us qualify. Opportunities will come to push for an outright win,"he added.

He also it is good that pacers K Vignesh and T Natarajan, who had been out injured, are playing together again.

Indrajith said the wicket looked dry adding "we dont expect the ball to turn big from day one."