After going down to Gujarat in their Ranji Trophy season opener, Odisha will hope to put up a better show against Kerala in their second Group C game in Thiruvananthapuram starting Sunday.Odisha’s batters did well to post a formidable total in the first innings, with Gourav Choudhary hitting a century and Sandeep Pattnaik scoring a half-century.However, their bowlers failed to make an impact in Ahmedabad and allowed the hosts to take a sizeable lead, which proved enough to seal the win. Pattnaik scored another half-century in the second innings, with Ninad Rathva giving him company, but eight other batters failed to reach double figures as Gujarat cruised to a 10-wicket win for a bonus point.As for the bowlers, only Badal Biswal stood out with a five-wicket haul in Gujarat’s first innings. However, considering his economy rate of 4.11, it mattered little in the end. The other bowlers, including Rajesh Mohanty, Lalit Yadav and Rathva, were expensive, and that will be a major concern for Odisha coach Pravanjan Mullick heading into their second game.The coach will also hope his batters do a better job, including skipper Subhranshu Senapati, who managed scores of 29 and 0 in the two innings.Despite their poor showing, Odisha can take some confidence from the fact that Kerala too have not enjoyed an ideal start to the campaign. Jharkhand piled up 587 in their first innings and secured three points courtesy a first-innings lead.Kerala’s batters showed some fight, with Abhishek Nair scoring 126 and Aditya Sarwate making 95, but the target proved too steep in the end and they had to be content with a solitary point. Their bowlers endured a difficult outing, conceding runs freely, and will be eager to produce a much-improved performance at home.Only Vaisakh Chandran claimed a five-wicket haul, though he also conceded 166 runs in his 49 overs.Having endured disappointing starts to the season, both Odisha and Kerala will view this contest as an opportunity to secure their first win and build some early momentum in the group.