Poddar considers the pitch to be sporting, and Odisha will want their top-order batters to step up and put on a good score. Apart from the captain, others have struggled to convert their starts, something they will want to avoid against Mumbai.

Their strength lies with their bowling attack, as Odisha has consistently run through top orders, whether against J&K or Baroda. However, they have struggled to take the wickets of middle-order batters.

“We are happy to see a good layer of grass cover on the wicket. It will definitely help the fast bowlers as well as the batters. Gradually, it will help the spinners. We have Suryakant Pradhan, who has more than ten years of experience. Debabrata Pradhan, Rajesh Mohanty, and Sunil Roul are all doing well,” Poddar said.

While their current position in the table is motivation enough, Poddar and his players are also aware of the limelight they can gain by performing against a team like Mumbai, which will be led by Ajinkya Rahane and feature star players such as Shreyas Iyer and Shardul Thakur.

“For us, if we perform here, then definitely our players are going to get more limelight throughout India. Because of all the media coverage, they keep an eye on Mumbai cricket. It’s a very good opportunity for us to experiment and implement what we have prepared from last year,” Poddar concluded.