Mumbai, Dec 8: Mumbai will be fielding a full-strength side as they take on Punjab at the Wankhede Stadium in the Ranji Trophy match from December 8 to 12. With skipper Ajit Agarkar back in the side and Ajinkya Rahane available to play the match against the Harbhajan Singh-led team, both camps expect a good contest here.

Mumbai who are currently placed third in Group A will be looking for a win to boost their standings in the table after narrowly missing out on an outright victory in the previous match against Bengal. Reflecting on his team’s strengths and the areas that they need to improve Agarkar praised his batting line-up while stating that they need to bowl better when they take on Punjab.

Excerpts from his media interaction:

On facing Punjab

Yes, it is a good game ahead. They are the in-form team. They are miles ahead of everyone else in the group. Obviously, they are the team that’s playing the best at the moment, so we will have to play well.

On fielding a full-strength Mumbai side

It helps if there is a little bit of continuity. I missed three games, which doesn’t help at times. But the guys did a good job. We should have probably gotten over the line in the last game; unfortunate [that we didn’t], but we’ve got another chance. We’ve got four internationals in our top five, can’t ask for a better combination as a batting unit. But again, we will have to play well to get a positive result.

On the previous game against Bengal

They obviously batted 106 overs that they needed to. I wasn’t out there on the field, so it would be wrong on my part to give any opinions on it but everyone was disappointed with the result. The wicket had everything in it to take 10 wickets in 100 overs. We didn’t [get them] but at least we got the three points and now we’ve got to look forward. We’ve got another opportunity here, a home game, but we’ll have to play well.

On Harbhajan Singh returning to the Punjab team

Any international player who is currently with the national team coming back to play for his state team is a big boost. A guy who has got 400 Test wickets is a big player. I keep saying we will worry about the things what we need to do and we need to play well.

On playing Abhishek Nayar as the third seamer

Not really. We have stuck to playing with five bowlers. Batting is the one [area] that’s probably going well for us. We have guys who contribute lower down the order as well. We need to try and get 20 wickets as well. Nayar giving us those wickets is a bonus, but we want him to score runs more than taking wickets for us.

On Mumbai’s performance in the field

We have just not got 20 wickets. Sometimes we are going to drop the odd catch in a game. Sometimes it proves costly, sometimes it doesn’t. We got a wicket off a no-ball last game and the guy got out off the next ball last game as well. You don’t want to drop catches, which come back and then cost you the game. It happened in the last game, but there were a couple of close calls which could have gone our way as well. You keep working on the wicket irrespective of whether you take catches or drop catches. Nothing changes.

On the wicket

It looks good. We’ve always wanted a good sporting track. Over the years, we’ve always wanted it and then, it’s a curators’ thing. Rest it’s up to him, what he makes.

On their last home game

Yes, it is very important. We’re third in the group and we still have to play the two teams that are ahead of us. But if you don’t get the results at home, that makes it more and more difficult as you go through the tournament.

On the stop-start season for him so far

Yes, it is frustrating. I was probably fit enough to play the last game but I had not had enough bowling [practice]. That’s why I had to take an extra week off.