In a thrilling denouement to a game filled with attractive batsmanship, TNCA President’s XI hoodwinked Gujarat by one wicket with two balls to spare on day two of their semifinal of the Kalpathi-AGS Buchi Babu all-India tournament on Thursday.
With three required off the last over, bowled by left-arm spinner Axar Patel, W. Antony Dhas (42 not out, 52b, 4x4, 1x6) completed a single off the first ball. After playing out two dots, Sunil Sam (six not out, 9b) played an aerial stroke towards mid-off where a leaping Piyush Tanwar spilled a fairly simple chance. The ball slowly rolled past the boundary rope, prompting wild celebrations in the President’s XI camp.
Alacrity and resolveEarlier, after the home team lost its way in the final session, it was Dhas and M. Prabhu (30, 52b, 4x4) who rescued the side with a 55-run alliance in 90 balls for the eighth wicket. There was ample demonstration of alacrity and resolve from the duo in the wake of two wickets falling in quick succession after tea.
After Prabhu fell, Dhas and Sam added 24 for the last wicket to take President’s XI past the finish line.
For the host, it was M. Shahrukh Khan (118, 158b, 18x4) who laid the platform with a dazzling knock.
In the morning, there was hardly any panic that usually accompanies the pursuit of a fairly large total. After opener K. Bharath Shankar was bowled by Axar in the eighth over, Abhinav Mukund (55) and Shahrukh were in their element while adding 138 runs.
Contrasting methodsIn a mood to soak in the congenial setting offered by the gentle weather and the even-paced wicket, both batsmen indulged in positive stroke-play sans risk. Shahrukh, leveraging his height, repeatedly punched Gujarat’s seamers on the rise off the front foot. Abhinav, on the other hand, dealt mostly in glides and wristy drives.
Gujarat found an opening in the first over after lunch as Abhinav was well held by Chirag Gandhi at mid-wicket. Einstein Napolean (39) brought with him some frenetic energy, running briskly between the wickets. Soon enough, Shahrukh brought up his hundred with a sublime cut, rising on his toes to tame the bounce. Not long after, he succumbed to Priyank Panchal’s medium-pace.
Gujarat cleverly brought a fielder at short-square and kept persisting with a leg-side line. Shahrukh advanced a few paces and chipped it straight to the fielder. This brought in K. Shrivasudevas (64, 92b), who, having recently returned to competitive cricket after a sabbatical, played some delectable shots. But, the fall of wickets at regular intervals threatened to scupper the team before Dhas and Prabhu bailed it out.
Akshath in fine nickIn the other semifinal, skipper P. Akshath Reddy’s fine effort (148 not out, 201b, 15x4, 3x6) helped Hyderabad canter to an eight-wicket win over Assam.
The scores (semifinals, day two):
Gujarat 396 lost to TNCA President’s XI 399 for nine in 99.4 overs (M. Shahrukh Khan 118, K. Shrivasudevadas 64, Abhinav Mukund 55, W. Antony Dhas 42 n.o.).
Assam 247 lost to Hyderabad 250 for two in 67 overs (P. Akshath Reddy 148 n.o., Tanmay Agarwal 41).