Odisha outclass Goa, win by 70 runs in Nagesh Trophy

BASIL SYLVESTER PINTO  

PANAJI  

After a facile seven-wicket win against Rajasthan on Wednesday, Goa suffered a reverse to be outclassed by the much fancied Odisha by 70 runs in the Nagesh Cricket Tournament for the Blind 2018, underway at GCA Academy Ground, Porvorim 

on Thursday.   

For the visitors, everything went right from the moment their captain Md Jafar Iqbal called the toss correctly and decided to bat. The Odisha openers, Nakul Badnayak (B2) and Pankaj Bhue (B3) called the shots from the outset. The visiting team’s 50 was up at the start of the fifth over and by the end of the Power Play, and they moved to 68 without loss, hitting as many as nine boundaries. 

With the field spreading out, it had no effect on the batsmen who appeared set and determined to convert their starts to a bigger score. The batsmen split the field with finesse and precision in running their singles and twos while pouncing on the looser delivery to caress it across the ropes. Their 100 came up in the 10th over and the 150 in the 15th, incidentally the first for any wicket in the tournament’s first edition. 

Nakul, who was dropped by Sandesh Ghode at deep cover on 58 off Rahul Damor, could not cash in on the life and departed shortly after for a sparkling 60 (49b, 7x4). He raised a tournament record stand of 165 with Pankaj that culminated at the end of the 16th over with B1 player, Tukaram Gavkar ending the match-defining association by running him out. 

His partner Pankaj did not last much longer and departed mid-way through the 18th over with the scoreboard on 176 when Sandesh Ghode making amends for his drop earlier left him well short of his ground with a direct hit onto the stumps. The two-time World Cup winner (T20 and 40-overs) fell eight runs short of a well-deserved 100. Pankaj made a dazzling 92 in 53 balls with 13 well-executed boundaries.   

An in-form B3 player, Sukhram Majhi (62 v Karnataka) came up with a 11-ball unbeaten 23 runs blitzkrieg against the hapless Goa attack to take the score past 200. Nilesh Mirgal (B3) excellent throwing arm came to the fore again that found the opposition captain Md Jafar Iqbal (B1) and Lingaraj Routra (B3) run out of the last two balls of the visitors’ innings. Odisha, with five India internationals in the team, ended on 204/4. All the six bowlers employed in the Goa attack went for no less than eight runs an over.   

In the chase, Goa lost their opener Rahul Damor (2) at the end of the first over. The early setback notwithstanding, Ashutosh Mavaskar (B3) along with one-down batter Akshay Borkar (B1), assisted by runner Nilesh Mirgal, realised a 101-run stand for the second wicket that endeavoured to take the match to the opposition. But they could do no more then steal quick singles and the deft-placed twos while putting the pressure on the fielders. 

As the run rate continued to mount, neither batsmen could come up with the bigger shots that became a scarce resource to find. By the end of the 10th over, the little-known home team had reached 74/1 with around 13 an over to get in the last 10 for an unexpected win. A far-fetch target at the stage but not impossible for the Davids facing the Goliaths. But the fifth gear never came. 

And it was only a matter of time before the visitors had won. Ashutosh in making a fine 50 (49b, 3x4) and Akshay who scored 52 (47b) earned plaudits in their side coming second best. None of the other batsmen could measure up to the Andhra attack as the State team and came well short to end on 134/8 and hand an easy 70-runs win to the visitors, their first in the competition. Sukhram Majhi and Ramchandra Hansda (B2) claimed two wickets each for Andhra.  

Meanwhile in the other match, Karnataka thumped Rajasthan 153 runs. Electing to bat first Karnataka made a mammoth 239/6 while Rajasthan meekly ended their innings on 86/9. On Friday, Goa take on the might of Karnataka in their concluding Group D match at Porvorim. Goa have won two matches (Pondicherry and Rajasthan) and tasted as many losses (Punjab and Odisha) in the league stage of the 

competition.