The latest edition of this skirmish, beginning at the Wankhede stadium on Saturday, will have a whole new dimension to it, given the presence of a clutch of internationals, none bigger and more accomplished than Anil Kumble and Rahul Dravid.

The Ranji Trophy, essentially a very poor bridesmaid to the international game, couldn't have asked for a better start than with two of Indian cricket's greatest match-winners plying their wares as the domestic first-class season hits top gear. The marquee clash among the five Super League games that get going on Saturday pits the defending champions against last year's semifinalists, fortified by the presence of leg-spinner non-pareil and batsman supreme and, for that very reason, justified in entertaining hopes of their first outright victory over Mumbai in 19 tilts.

Karnataka will be well aware that, notwithstanding the availability of their stalwart duo, they are in for a scrap. Mumbai haven't always played the prettiest cricket in recent times, but what they lack in style, they more than make up with substance. Not without reason have they won the Ranji Trophy a record 37 times; there is a hard-nosed, uncompromising approach developed in the maidans and harnessed with progression through the ranks that will always stand Mumbai in good stead, no matter what.

Midway through last season's eventually triumphant campaign, Mumbai were pointless. After their first three matches -- all away -- they faced the genuine threat of relegation before rousing themselves upon a return to their beloved Wankhede to scythe through the rest of the field and crown themselves champions all over again. Now fortunate enough to begin the defence of their crown on home turf, they will seek a confidence-boosting performance against Karnataka, at almost full strength -- only Robin Uthappa is missing -- for the first time in nearly a decade.

Gifted individuals
Not since February 2000 have Kumble and Dravid turned out for the State in the same game. Inasmuch as cricket is a team game, the impact of these two gifted individuals can hardly be exaggerated. Vijay Bharadwaj knows how lucky he is to have the two veterans at his disposal in his first match as the State coach; the one-time batting bulwark also realises that it isn't just the contributions from the awesome twosome on the field, but also their inputs off it in the change room, that can shape the fortunes of a wonderfully balanced side through the season.

Despite the dryness of the Wankhede strip -- rolled in nicely, but sparingly watered over the last couple of days due to the omnipresent threat of rain -- Karnataka will resist the temptation to play a third specialist spinner in KP Appanna. They will instead opt for the medium-paced all-round skills of B Akhil to support the consistent R Vinay Kumar and the returning NC Aiyappa, sharp at nets on Friday morning. The onus of taking wickets, however, will rest with Kumble and former India international Sunil Joshi, offie C Raghu providing the full complement of spin.

That said, Mumbai will offer no freebies. Like Kumble, Wasim Jaffer's last international appearance was at The Oval in August -- where the Bangalorean brought up his only Test ton -- and he will be eager to hit his straps ahead of the Test series against Pakistan less than three weeks away. Discards Ajit Agarkar and Ramesh Powar will look to prove a point or two, aware that otherwise, they face the prospect of a long domestic season.
The likes of the exciting Ajinjya Rahane and Sahil Kukreja will itch at the prospect of battle with Kumble, just as 17-year-old left-arm spinner Iqbal Abdulla will relish the opportunity to test himself against the likes of Dravid, Barrington Rowland and Thilak Naidu.

Entertainment will not be at a premium even if the crowds are, that's for sure.

Teams: Karnataka (likely): Anil Kumble (capt), Barrington Rowland, KB Pawan, Rahul Dravid, C Raghu, Yere Goud, Thilak Naidu, B Akhil, Sunil Joshi, R Vinay Kumar, NC Aiyappa.

Mumbai (from): Amol Muzumdar (capt), Wasim Jaffer, Sahil Kukreja, Ajinkya Rahane, Prashant Naik, Abhishek Nair, Vinayak Samant, Ajit Agarkar, Ramesh Powar, Rajesh Verma, Iqbal Abdulla, Avishkar Salvi.

Umpires: K Hariharan and Anil Choudhary (both Delhi). Match referee: Raju Mukherjee (Bengal).
Hours of play: 0930-1200 hours, 1240-1440 hours and 1500-end of play.

Points system
*Outright win: 5 points to the winner, plus a bonus point for innings win or by ten wickets. Loser gets no point.
*Drawn game: Three points for team taking first-innings lead, one point for team conceding lead.
*Tie: Two points apiece. If teams are tied on the first innings in a drawn encounter, one point each.
*No point in case the first innings of both teams not completed.