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India Green top-order fires on all cylinders

S. Sabanayakan

The team reaches 260 for nine despite a middle-order collapse

— Photo: K. Pichumani

IN A PUNISHING MOOD: Naman Ojha laid a solid foundation for India Green in its Challenger Trophy match against India Red at Cuttack on Friday.

CUTTACK: The India Green top-order, led by openers Naman Ojha and Shikhar Dhawan and No. 3 Suresh Raina, fired on all cylinders to take the team to 260 for nine against India Red in the second match of the N.K.P. Salve Challenger Trophy at the Barabati Stadium here on Friday.

Madhya Pradesh wicketkeeper-batsman Naman Ojha’s fluent 96 and a fine 45 by Delhi’s Dhawan ensured India Green got off to a terrific start after winning the toss. The two added 102 in 19.1 overs.

Suresh Raina, coming in at the fall of Dhawan, quickly got into the act and he and Ojha went from strength to strength to add a further 95 for the second wicket in 20.2 overs to put their side in a commanding position.

Falling short

Naman, all set for a century, had to chance his arm after instructions from the dressing room to accelerate the scoring.

His lofted shot off leg-spinner Piyush Chawla fell just short of long-on fielder Faiz Fazal, but Naman was caught superbly by M. Vijay at mid-wicket when he tried to lift the same bowler again. Naman’s knock, which lasted 130 balls and had 10 boundaries and a six, was both pleasing and effective.

Yusuf Pathan came and went quickly without troubling the scorers. And when Raina departed, taken by Manoj Tiwary at long-on off Chawla after a well-made 58 (65b, 2x4, 2x6), India Green was 226 for four after 44 overs. However, the team lost its way and five wickets fell in quick succession off 27 balls for the addition of just 21 runs.

Cheteshwar Pujara added some quick runs towards the end, hitting a six and a four, as India Green reached 260 for nine.

The pitch had a bit of bounce early on and this helped the batsmen play their shots. However, as the game progressed, stroke-making became increasingly difficult. Once again, the two India Red spinners Chawla and Mohnish Parmar pulled things back a bit after the three pacers had gone for runs.

The scores:

India Green: N. Ojha c Vijay b Chawla 96, S. Dhawan c Tiwary b Parmar 45, S. Raina c Tiwary b Chawla 58, Yusuf c Fazal b Chawla 0, Mohd. Kaif c Tiwary b Nayar 15, C. Pujara (not out) 18, L.R. Shukla (run out) 3, R.P. Singh b Praveen 4, M. Gony b Praveen 0, Pankaj b Balaji 0, P. Ojha (not out) 1; Extras (b-1, lb-9, w-10): 20; Total (for nine wkts. in 50 overs): 260.

Fall of wickets: 1-102, 2-197, 3-198, 4-226, 5-228, 6-232, 7-246, 8-246, 9-247.

India Red bowling: Praveen 10-0-51-2, Balaji 10-1-37-1, Nayar 5-0-43-1, Chawla 10-0-50-3, Parmar 10-0-45-1, Rohit 5-0-24-0.

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