Early swing, late spin: MP vs Punjab in Vijay Hazare quarters today

Bhopal: Buckle up for a thriller as Madhya Pradesh collides with Punjab in the third quarter-final of the Vijay Hazare Trophy.The day was forecast for a full 100 overs, with temperatures expected to rise from 18°C to 27°C, humidity at 50-60%. A light morning breeze was expected to aid early swing for pacers before conditions turned sunny and suited spinners later. Dew might assist chasers if the match extended under lights. The pitch was expected to offer initial seam movement before easing for batters. Recent matches at the venue averaged 265 in the first innings, with spinners taking 28 wickets at 22 each. Experts suggested bowling first to exploit morning moisture. In head-to-head List A meetings, Punjab led 12-8 across 20 matches and won three of last five. MP's last win at the venue was by 15 runs. Punjab topped their group with four wins from five and a net run rate of +0.85. Abhishek Sharma was fit and available at full strength. Punjab may use middle-overs spin against MP's batters.MP has secured three group wins, including a 42-run upset over Karnataka. Yash Dubey has led their scoring with 390 runs at 78 and a strike rate of 95. MP continued to deal with pace inconsistencies in Avesh Khan's absence, but Shubham Sharma returned.