Vidarbha beat Raj by 7 wkts inside 3 days on a green top
| Date :22-Sep-2020 |
Gagan Khoda, who played two One-Day Internationals for India in 1998, scored an attacking 87 in the second innings that gave Rajasthan something to bowl at.
By Anupam Soni :
A RE-LAID VCA turf was fast bowlers’ paradise at one time. The pitch that sported generous amount of green could not stop famous English umpire (late) David Shepherd remarking, “Looks like home, don’t it?” on eve of the India-Australia third Test of the four-match series in October 2004. The Aussies enjoyed the pace and bounce as Indian batsmen wilted. Australia (398 & 329/5d) beat India (185 & 200) by 342 runs to conquer ‘The Final Frontier’ (as they took an unassailable 2-0 lead) with more than a full day to spare. Australia had won a Test series in India for the first time in 35 years!
Vidarbha all-rounder Chandrashekhar Atram
A fortnight later, Vidarbha were up against Rajasthan in their Ranji Trophy Plate Group B league match played at the same square of Vidarbha Cricket Association’s Civil Lines ground in November 2004. Except for a counter-attacking knock by domestic giant Gagan Khoda in the second innings, the Vidarbha fast bowlers ruled the roost helping them post a comfortable seven-wicket win with a day remaining in the four-day match. Vidarbha captain Pritam Gandhe had no hesitation in inviting the visitors to have first strike. Khoda lasted just nine balls before being cleaned up by left-arm seamer Chandrashekhar Atram. Soon, the bowler induced an edge from the other opener Vineet Saxena for wicketkeeper Amit Deshpande to complete the action.
Sandeep Singh, who could bowl banana swingers, accounted for one of the two Gehlots making debut. He had Naresh caught by Baburao Yadav. Only Nikhil Doru (26) and Rahul Kanwat (15) reached into double digits as the team mustered a mere 101. Atram snared four wickets while Singh scalped three. Support seamers Yadav and Alind Naidu chipped in with one wicket each. Rajasthan medium pacer Sumit Mathur continued from where Vidarbha pacers left. In his and team’s first over, he removed Amit Deshpande lbw and in his next, Mathur sent back Naidu caught by wicketkeeper Rohit Jhalani. The duo was again in the thick of things as Rahul Jadhav succumbed.
From the other end, southpaw opener Faiz Fazal (39) saw two more batsmen return to the hut. Ulhas Gandhe was picked by seamer Anshu Jain while Yadav became first of the four victims of seasoned left-arm seamer P Krishnakumar. Faiz was the sixth Vidarbha batsman to get out. He edged Krishnakumar for Jhalani. On the very next ball, Vidarbha all-rounder Samir Khare was clean bowled. Joining hands at 71-7, Harshal Shitoot (16*) and Atram (10*) saw off the day with the hosts reeling at 97-7 in 38 overs. As many as seventeen wickets fell on the eventful opening day.
“The wicket was very much green then. (Kishore) Pradhan was the curator and he was fond of grass. He would not listen to anybody on shaving off those green blades. It was as good as that India-Australia match. Though the bouncers would come slower due to the spongy surface, the bowlers would get huge movement if pitched up. Both Atram and Sandeep (Singh) exploited the conditions very well,” said the then skipper Pritam, recalling the tough playing conditions. Atram, who was pick of the Vidarbha bowlers, echoed the same sentiments. “The pitch had a uniform grass cover over on it. The conditions were ideal for pace bowling. We were getting enough lateral movement. Khoda was clean bowled on a swinging yorker and that was the best ball I bowled in that game.
Vidarbha skipper Pritam Gandhe
I enjoyed the dismissal most among all the four,” said all-rounder Atram who was also part of India’s squad for the 2002 Under-19 Cricket World Cup. “Contribution in team’s win always gives more satisfaction,” he added. On the second day morning, Shitoot (33) and Atram (37) batted responsibly to add 59 important runs for the eighth wicket. Skipper Pritam Gandhe made 12. Atram was the last man out. Going for a big heave, the batsman missed the line to hand pacer Shailender Gehlot his first First-Class wicket. “Time was no constraint. We had enough of it. We wanted to bat as along as possible and to stretch the lead to the maximum. There was no need to pay attacking game we (Shitoot and Atram) decided,” said Atram on the partnership and his batting. “It was not easy for us also. We were struggling but Harshal (Shitoot) and Atram had a good partnership. In fact, Atram was in good form that season. He was aggressive and confident with bat and ball both,” said Pritam.
Rajasthan had an inauspicious start. Skipper Khoda had some trouble and returned to pavilion with the team yet to get off the mark. Atram once again gave the team an early breakthrough. He shattered the timber of Naresh Gehlot. Singh struck twice in his eighth over to get rid of Saxena and Jain and in his next he sent back Jhalani. From 4-27, Doru (30) and Krishnakumar (11) took the team to 56 ensuring Vidarbha had to bat again. But at the same score, three wickets fell including those of the set batsmen. Three runs later, Dave departed and when the skipper returned, the visitors were effectively three runs for eight wickets (59/8). Khoda, who was known for big hitting, showed his class. With nothing much to lose, he cut loose. He played a knock mixed with copybook and unorthodox shots.
The last two wickets produced 92 runs with Khoda contributing 87. He was the last man out. Giving charge to his counterpart Pritam Gandhe, Khoda missed the ball and Deshpande whiffed off the bails. Rajasthan were shot off for 151 ten minutes before close of play on second day. Vidarbha openers came to bat but bad light stopped play after just one ball was bowled. “I exactly don’t remember why he left the field early on but hamstring injury might be the reason as he was struggling to walk,” Atram tried hard to recall why Khoda pulled out. But he agreed that the Rajasthan opener played a gem of a knock. “Khoda had no choice but to slog. And he batted very well in the second innings. With just a couple of tailenders to give him company, he played some lusty shots all over the ground. Though hurting, it was a treat to watch,” Atram said.
“Khoda gave us a lot of tension in the second innings. He started hitting upon his arrival at the crease. He hit me for a couple of straight sixes at sight screen. I asked Amit (wicketkeeper Deshpande) to be alert. I told him that if comes forward and across, I would bowl well outside the off stump. The trick worked and he got out stumped. Even that target was not easy (96) but our top order applied well,” said Pritam recalling his planning to dismiss the rampaging Khoda. On a fresh day, Faiz was an early casualty. Deshpande (34) and Naidu (33*) did not bog down and added 53 runs in 12.3 overs. Vidarbha lost two more wickets on their way to a comprehensive 7-wicket win.
Match: Vidarbha vs Rajasthan Ranji Trophy Plate Group B played at Vidarbha Cricket Association’s Civil Lines ground in November (16-18) 2004. Result: Vidarbha won by 7 wickets. Highlights n Vidarbha all-rounder Chandrashekhar Atram, who took seven wickets and scored a gritty 37, was also part of India’s squad for the 2002 Under-19 Cricket World Cup.
The Hitavada Scoreboard RAJASTHAN 1ST INNINGS: V Saxena c Deshpande b Atram 5, G Khoda b Atram 6, N Gehlot c Yadav b Singh 5, N Doru b Singh 26, P Krishnakumar lbw b Naidu 9, A Jain c Jadhav b Yadav 0, R Kanwat c Yadav b Atram 15, R Jhalani c Khare b Singh 8, A Dave c Deshpande b Atram 0, S Gehlot Not Out 5, S Mathur run out (Fazal) 6. Extras: (lb 5, nb 8, w 3) 16. TOTAL: (All out, 41.1 overs) 101. Fall of wickets: 1-9, 2-20, 3-23, 4-43, 5-44, 6-67, 7-87, 8-88, 9-91. Bowling: Atram 13-1-55-4, Singh 14.1-4-19-3, Yadav 7-3-12-1, Naidu 7-3-10-1. VIDARBHA 1ST INNINGS: A Deshpande lbw b Mathur 2, F Fazal c Jhalani b Krishnakumar 39, A Naidu c Jhalani b Mathur 4, R Jadhav c Jhalani b Mathur 3, U Gandhe c Jhalani b Jain 2, B Yadav b Krishnakumar 14, H Shitoot b Krishnakumar 33, S Khare b Krishnakumar 0, C Atram b S Gehlot 37, P Gandhe c sub b Kanwat 12, S Singh Not Out 0. Extras: (lb 5, nb 6) 11. TOTAL: (All out, 59.2 overs) 157. Fall of wickets: 1-2, 2-6, 3-18, 4-33, 5-68, 6-71, 7-71, 8-130, 9-156. Bowling: Mathur 21-3-57-3, Krishnakumar 18-4-45-4, S Gehlot 9.2-3-19-1, Jain 6-1-23-1, Kanwat 5-2-8-1. RAJASTHAN 2ND INNINGS: V Saxena lbw b Singh 2, G Khoda st Deshpande b P Gandhe 87, N Gehlot b Atram 8, N Doru c Jadhav b Yadav 30, A Jain b Singh 0, R Jhalani c Naidu b Singh 1, P Krishnakumar c Singh b Atram 11, R Kanwat c P Gandhe b Yadav 0, A Dave c Deshpande b Atram 3, S Gehlot run out (U Gandhe/Deshpande) 3, S Mathur Not Out 1. Extras: (lb 2, nb 1, w 2) 5. TOTAL: (All out, 49.4 overs) 151. Fall of wickets: 1-10, 2-25, 3-25, 4-27, 5-56, 6-56, 7-56, 8-59, 9-107. Bowling: Singh 16-5-41-3, Atram 13-5-37-3, Yadav 15-2-47-2, Naidu 2-0-9-0, Gandhe 3.4-0-15-1. VIDARBHA 2ND INNINGS (Target 96 Runs): A Deshpande c Saxena b Kanwat 34, F Fazal c Jhalani b Krishnakumar 0, A Naidu Not Out 33, R Jadhav c Jain b Kanwat 17, B Yadav Not Out 0. Extras: (lb 2, nb 7, w 3) 12. TOTAL: (3 wkts, 26.3 overs) 96. Fall of wickets: 1-8, 2-61, 3-93. Bowling: Mathur 9-4-33-0, Krishnakumar 7-0-31-1, S Gehlot 5-3-8-0, Jain 2-0-5-0, Kanwat 3.3-0-17-2. n