The Rest team has a strong batting line-up. Besides skipper VVS Laxman, Tamil Nadu's left hand batsman S Sharath and Mumbai's Amol Mazumdar would be the key batsmen. Uttar Pradesh's Jyothi Yadav, Bengal's Rohan Gavaskar and Andhra's MSK Prasad should form the Rest of the line-up.

The Rest bowling, however, looks pretty sketchy. Leg spinner Laxman Sivaramakrishnan gets another opportunity to turn the clock back and re-live those glory days of the mid-80s. Mumbai medium-pacer Paras Mhambrey, who was once again given international exposure recently, failed to come good at Kuala Lumpur. He, along with Delhi's Robin Singh Jr, is expected to share the new ball. None of the bowlers, including Gavaskar, Rajesh Pawar, Sanjay Raul and Nikhil Chopra, will give sleepless nights to any first class batting line-up, and it is here that the Rest team needs cover.

The home team, with VenkateshPrasad and Dodda Ganesh as the medium-pacers and India's best left-arm spinner currently, Sunil Joshi, has a better bowling combination. The support, however, is not very impressive, though left-arm spinner Anand Katti is a bowler of promise.

Sujith Somasundar, J Arunkumar, Fazal Khaleel and the main prop of the line-up, Vijay Bharadwaj are all capable batsmen for the home team. All rounder Joshi and HT Girish Rao along with wicket-keeper Somashekar Shiruguppi are the support cast of the batting.

On paper Rest have the edge. But Karnataka are capable of rising to the occasion.

The teams (from): Karnataka:

Venkatesh Prasad (captain), Sujith Somasundar, Arun Kumar, Fazal Khaleel, Vijay Bharadwaj, Girish Rao, A Vijay, Sunil Joshi, Siraguppi (wicketkeeper), DS Ananth, Ganesh, Anand Katti, Rajshekar Shanbal, Mansoor Ali Khan.

Rest of India:

VVS Laxman (captain), Amol Majumdar, Jyothi Yadav, Devang Gandhi, Rohan Gavaskar, Sharath, MSK Prasad (WK), Nikhil Chopra, Robin Singh Jr, Paras Mhambrey,Madhukar, L Sivaramakrishnan, Sanjay Rawl, Rajesh Pawar.

Umpires:

BA Jamula (Mumbai), Jasbir Singh (Punjab). Match referee:

MJ Limaye (Baroda)

Hours of play:9.30 to 12; 12.40 to 2.40; 3.00 to 4.30