Build-up to Indian Domestic Season 2009-10

[Arjun]

The Vijay Hazare zonal OD series is on. Tamil Nadu and Karnataka are through in South Zone, and that's no surprise. None of the other teams are much good there, and are way behind. TN have a well-composed team, with depth in batting and adequate bowling options, and as always, the best fielding. Karnataka have lots of promising youngsters, and seem to be doing well without Sunil Joshi, and spinner KP had five in a match. They're captained by Vinay Kumar, who unsuccessfully tried the role of a pinch-hitter at five, but that didn't pinch them. That team, however, is plagued with suspect selections, with both Stuart Binny and Udit Patel getting games at times, and at least one featuring in every match.

Mumbai and Saurashtra (duh!) made it to the next stage from the West Zone. Mumbai were good in all games, but stumbled against Saurashtra. Mumbai don't have any real champion players (bar Rahane and Powar) here- every player has a far (or at least slightly) better counterpart elsewhere, but they've combined well to get far. Saurashtra's rise is a bit of an annoyance- none of those players, except Pujara, by a long shot, are any good. Baroda's the second-best team, but batting problems continue to plague them, with a flimsy top six. Their selections are also highly flawed, as when you've got five bowlers, Yusuf Pathan and a bits-and-pieces player out of U-22, you won't have too many runs to play with.

East Zone is Bengal all the way, though they've lost one against Tripura. Jharkhand have a good chance of making the grade. Other zones have been highly competitive. Haryana have held their own not just against strugglers J&K and Services and also level team HP, but even against the stronger Delhi and Punjab, and lead the table. That's been very tight, as HP have upset Delhi and Haryana, defeated Punjab. Central Zone is a highly competitive zone, with less-fancied MP steady on top, unbeaten, with UP, Railways and Vidarbha competing for the second spot.