Twelve years on from the split that created them, Andhra and Hyderabad still share a language, a cricketing culture and, more often than not, a way of playing the game. From Sunday, at the ACA Stadium, that familiarity will be put to the test when they face off in a Ranji Trophy Elite Group B contest at Mulapadu.
With all due respect to Tripura, Andhra can take heart from the fact that its bowlers managed to stifle better quality batters. Hyderabad, meanwhile, will take notes from centurions R. Smaran and Karun Nair in dealing with the home side’s bowling threat.
Mohammed Siraj will lead Hyderabad before packing his bags for India’s tour of New Zealand and would want to leave with a second win as captain to his name. Scattered thunderstorms on the eve of the match adds another layer of intrigue to a clash that may well be defined by the smallest margins.
Andhra, on the other hand, will look to build on the good work under head coach Gary Stead, a partnership that resulted in a quarterfinal finish last year.