It has been eight long summers since Karnataka last carried the prefix of 'Ranji Trophy champions.' Not since their extraordinary triumph at the Chinnaswamy stadium in 1999 against Madhya Pradesh has a Karnataka captain held aloft the symbol of domestic first-class supremacy in the country.

In the intervening period, the six-time champs have had the ignominy of spending one season in the second-rung Plate division, and the lessons would appear to have been well learnt.

Come Saturday, Karnataka will embark upon another campaign aimed at restoring some of the past glory. Like always, this season too is pregnant with hope and optimism; what lends credence to those unquantifiables is that, at least for the first game against defending champions Mumbai, Karnataka can call upon two of India's greatest cricketers in tandem for the first time in seven and a half years.

You don't need the wisdom of Solomon to figure out that Anil Kumble and Rahul Dravid are massive impact players, and not just at the domestic level. Fortunate enough through entirely different reasons to be able to requisition the skills, fortitude and commitment of the classy duo, Karnataka have reason to believe under new coach Vijay Bharadwaj -- the vanguard during their wonderful run in the '90s when they triumphed thrice in four years -- that this could well be the start of something really big.

Over the last several years, neither Kumble nor Dravid has been available or State duty for any significant period. Their presence right at the start of the campaign, against the defending champions and in an away game, could be construed by those who believe in such things as signs that this season will bring glad tidings.

That said, Karnataka's dominant run in the late 90s was charted not so much by these two gentlemen as the current coach. Bharadwaj, then R Vijay, blazed a spectacular trail, topping the batting charts by a mile and setting up the big totals that a balanced, incisive bowling attack feasted upon. Bharadwaj and the two current internationals apart, the only surviving member of that memorable era is left-arm spinner Sunil Joshi, going strong at 37 with retirement not even a distant thought.

Placed in Group A with, apart from Mumbai, other traditional powers such as Tamil Nadu, Delhi and Maharashtra, Karnataka will also have to contend with the ambitions of Rajasthan -- in the Chappell-Frazer regime -- as well as Himachal Pradesh and Saurashtra, relative lightweights if there is anything like that in Indian domestic cricket anymore. It's a tough group, but as they showed last year when they made the semifinals before falling to Bengal at the Eden Gardens, Karnataka possess the class, the depth and the wherewithal to stare adversity in the face, and not blink.

Good start crucial

Needless to say, a good start and the momentum it generates will be crucial to Karnataka's scheme of things. "Playing Mumbai in Mumbai is not just a challenge," Bharadwaj told Deccan Herald. "They are the defending champions, and it is a big advantage for us that both Anil and Rahul are available for that game. In fact, we are lucky that our first match is against Mumbai. We are looking forward to getting off to a winning start, and carrying on from there.

"Over the last three years, there have been one or two slots over which there have been doubts," added the man who only became coach after original choice, Rajesh Kamath, switched loyalties to the Indian Cricket League. "This year, there is a settled look. We have set our goals and targets, and we want to take it one step at a time."

Along the journey, sooner rather than later, Karnataka will have to contend with life without Kumble and Dravid, not an unfamiliar scenario. "We should have Robin (Uthappa) coming back in," Bharadwaj reflected, not unaware that last season, the bruising right-hander topped the run-scoring charts for the State with 854 runs at 65.69, inclusive of four hundreds. Now a more mature batsman who has tasted considerable success in limited-overs internationals, Uthappa is intelligent enough to realise that Test cricket is the ultimate and therefore, the runs have to keep flowing at the domestic level.

Once Kumble goes back to India duty, Yere Goud will re-assume the captaincy. Last season, the veteran made upwards of 500 runs -- like Thilak Naidu and C Raghu -- and will again have to embrace responsiblity with the said duo, and shepherd young talent such as KB Pawan and Bharat Chipli, among others. "We have guys like Chipli and Deepak Chougule waiting in the wings," remarked Bharadwaj, "and that is indicative of our bench strength.

It reminds me of 1996, when even someone like JAK (J Arun Kumar) couldn't find a place in the eleven."
The return of paceman NC Aiyappa after a frustrating last season when a knee injury restricted his contribution to just two games lends added teeth to an attack that will again be spearheaded by the phlegmatic, understated R Vinay Kumar. An epitome of consistency, Vinay's 27 sticks had a big role to play in the run to the last four; Vinay and Aiyappa will need support from B Akhil and S Dhananjaya, though it is the progress of young left-arm spinner KP Appanna that will be watched with utmost interest.

A balanced, exciting mix on paper, but cricket matches are never won on paper. It's time to play ball — hard ball, at that.

RANJI TROPHY 2007-08