Kerala and Karnataka will be looking for their first win of the season when both the teams face each other in the third round Group B match at the KCA Stadium, Mangalapuram here on Saturday. After an underwhelming start to their campaign this season, Kerala will look to maximize home advantage to turn their fortunes around against a Karnataka team that has not been at its best.

But Kerala is yet to find the right team combination and Jalaj Saxena’s absence is becoming bigger with every match. The mantle of leadership is also not looking comfortable on Mohammad Azharuddin, for whom captaincy has stifled his free-flowing batting style.

Batting has been a major concern for Kerala this season as the top order has failed to perform well. Salman Nizar’s injury has added to the problems, forcing him to be ruled out of the upcoming match. However, the strong innings of Ahmed Imran and B.

Aparajith’s timely return to form gives hope for the hosts. The selectors have dropped opener Vathsal Govind, Krishna Prasad may get a chance in his place. Kerala’s bowling largely depends on the conditions.

Fast bowler MD. Nidish and N. P.

Basil is good when it helps from the surface. Off-spinner Vishal Chandran has been included to strengthen the spin bowling department, with Ankit Sharma playing the lone role. The Mayank Agarwal-led team has not had the best of performances so far this season, but will look to take advantage of Kerala’s weaknesses.

The spectacular comeback of Karun Nair and Shreyas Gopal has been impressive for the audience. Karun is again doing what he does best, scoring runs in domestic cricket while Shreyas’ aggressive batting and clever bowling has been useful for Karnataka.

The home team will also be aware of the threat posed by Karnataka’s fast bowlers. The venue will initially favor the fast bowlers, who will be making their Ranji Trophy debut, with the toss becoming a key factor in the contest.