Agarkar: Lucky to have Sachin

Tendulkar's presence in the dressing room helps, says Mumbai skipper Ajit Agarkar.

By | Yahoo! Cricket – Fri 25 Jan, 2013 5:31 PM IST

Mumbai: While Mumbai look to pick up their 40th Ranji Trophy title, their skipper Ajit Agarkar, is particularly happy about the presence of one man in the dressing room.

On Mumbai's road to the final

I am very happy with the way we have gone so far. We never had a perfect game. The one against Baroda was the easiest. Had to scrape through in most.  Hope that we play well. From struggling a little bit to qualify, to being in the final. Very happy with the way we are. Looking forward to the final.

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On opponents Saurashtra

For anyone to reach the final, it is not easy. We don't underestimate anyone. Any opposition in the final is dangerous. Must be at your best. It's a one-off game.

On Sachin Tendulkar's presence

We have the great man. Sachin's presence in the dressing room helps. We are very happy that he is part of the squad. He helps the younger guys out. We have been lucky enough to have him. The timing is right.

On missing key players

Both teams are missing players. We are missing Rohit and Ajinkya. That's been the case for now. But it doesn't change anything. We have moved on. The other guys will have to make a mark and there is not a bigger opportunity than the Ranji Trophy final. All the guys have had a decent season.

On the pitch at the Wankhede Stadium

I will have a look again. The pitch changes when the sun comes out and there is a bit of dew in the morning. There was less time to prepare it than before for it was shifted here at the last minute. It was being prepared for the Women's World Cup. Can't predict anything. Good if it helps both the batsmen and the bowlers.

On Mumbai's squad for the final

Will have a look at the wicket. Can't see too many changes.

On the final

Should be a tough game. We have to play well. Have guys who have been in more than final. We generally play well in a final.

On the absence of an off-spinner

Ramesh Powar has been missing due to injury. He was a key performer. Our left-armers doing well (Ankeet Chavan and Vishal Dhabolkar). We'll go with the ones who are available, than worry about finding bowlers.

On the home advantage

We prefer playing at home. You know your conditions. But we have to play well for five days. There is a liitle bit of an advantage.

On the team

We've had good performances from most of the guys. Nayar, Tare and Wasim have been our stand-out performers. Everyone has chipped in at important times. We are very happy.

On his run with the bat

I was lucky enough to get to a 100 in the last game. The team needed it at that point, as it was a tricky situation. Nice to get runs for the side.

On Mumbai being 39-time champions

Massive. Looking forward to it. It is a big honour to lead the team. We are very happy to be a part of it. It is better than sitting at home and watching it on TV.

Matches

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