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Rohit fashions India Red’s victory

S. Sabanayakan

Naman Ojha misses out on deserving century

— Photo: K. Pichumani

IN CONTROL: Rohit Sharma was all class as he guided his team home against India Green.

CUTTACK: Staring down the barrel, India Red rode on Rohit Sharma and Abhishek Nayar’s 86-run partnership in 9.2 overs to chalk up a five-wicket win with seven balls to spare over India Green in their N,K.P Salve Challenger Trophy match here on Friday night.

Rohit produced a classy 117, the highest of the tournament, as the two tore into a listless India Green attack and turned the match on its head.

India Red, needing 261 from 50 overs, was two down for 99 in 20.5 overs. Skipper Badrinath joined Rohit at this stage, who by then had added 75 for the second wicket with M. Vijay (45, 60b, 5x4, 1x6).

Rohit and Badrinath put on 60 for the third wicket in 15 overs. Badrinath left at 159 and with Manoj Tiwary getting out at 171 in the 39th over, it looked all over for India Red, which needed 90 off 66 balls.

Fabulous partnership

Nayar joined Rohit and the two put on a fabulous partnership with the later being the more dominant.

Rohit’s innings (120b, 13x4, 2x6) was a well paced one. With the dew factor not allowing the ball to roll freely, Rohit judiciously used the aerial route to good effect. And he closed the match in style lifting R.P. Singh over cover for a superb four.

Earlier, outstanding batting by Madhya Pradesh wicketkeeper-batsman Naman Ojha (96) and a fine 45 by Delhi’s Shikar Dhawan ensured India Green got off to a tremendous start after winning the toss. The openers added 102 in 19.1 overs.

Suresh Raina, coming in at the fall of Dhawan, quickly got into his groove and with Naman added 95 for the second wicket in 20.2 overs. Naman, on the verge of a deserving century, fell while trying to further accelerate the scoring rate. His 96 came off 130 balls with 10 boundaries and a six.

Raina, who scored a double hundred in his last appearance on this ground in a Ranji game, took on Chawla but his mistimed shot was taken by Tiwary at long-on for a well-made 58 (65b, 2x4, 2x6). India Green, 226 for four after 44 overs, from here lost five wickets in 27 balls for the addition of only 21 runs. Once again the two spinners Chawla and Mohnish Parmar stood out for India Red.

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, M. 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, P. Singh b Balaji 0, P. Ojha (not out) 1; Extras: (b-1, lb-9, w-10) 20; Total: (for nine 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.

India Red: F. Fazal lbw b Gony 15, M. Vijay c Shukla b Yousuf 45, Rohit (not out) 117, S. Badrinath c N. Ojha b Gony 27, M. Tiwary lbw b Raina 8, A. Nayar c Pujara b R.P. Singh 34, P. Chawla (not out) 1; Extras: (lb-9, w-6, nb-1) 16; Total: (for five in 48.5 overs) 263.

Fall of wickets: 1-24, 2-99, 3-159, 4-171, 5-257.

India Green bowling: R.P. Singh 8.5-1-52-1, Gony 9-1-52-2, Pankaj Singh 4-0-23-0, P. Ojha 9-0-40-0, Yousuf 10-0-40-1, Shukla 3-0-16-0, Raina 5-1-31-1.

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