Ranji Trophy – 2019-20 : Pondicherry Vs Manipur (Videocon Ground)
Kolkata, 04-07 Feb’20:
Starting cautiously with the new top order line up after being put into bat by Manipur in the eighth round of Ranji clash, at Videocon Ground, Kolkata, with the openers and no.3 back in the pavilion, skipper Paras Dogra steadied the innings and later on Fabid Ahmed went on rampage.
Paras Dogra steadies the ship and Fabid Ahmed unleash aggression
With the score reading 29 for 3, skipper Paras Dogra played with his head down in the company of K.B.Arun Karthick, as both were cautious in rotating the strike to unsettle the Manipur bowlers and took the score to 90 for 3; when the latter was out for 32. As it was due from Fabid Ahmed’s bat for some time, the opportunity was seized by him and played an innings with free flow of strokes to give confidence to his captain at the other end. However, Dogra departed for a well made 56 and this did not deter the rest as they also joined the run feast with Fabid as the no.7 Vinay Kumar scored relaxed 30 off 51 balls and after his departure, Sagar Trivedi and Tamaraikannan stayed for a while to boost the score at a good pace and took the score to 284 for 8 giving way for Sagar Udeshi to join Fabid Ahmed, who was scoring at will.
Fabid and Sagar Udeshi show the way to attack
Realising the need for a big total to be put on the board, Fabid found a good and solid partner in Sagar Udeshi, swung the willow and massacred the Manipur attack despatching the ball to all parts of the ground. Particularly, after crossing the magic mark of hundred, Fabid’s bat swung like a lightening in the dark sky and at close of day one he remained unbeaten on 153.
Resuming the second day, Fabid continued from where he left the previous evening and extended his free hitting to reach another milestone of scoring the double ton in an innings in Ranji and took the score to 476 for 9 when he was out for 233 off 268 deliveries, with 33 fours and three sixes.
After Fabid’s departure, Sagar Udeshi scored briskly as he had only Arvind to give company to remain unbeaten on 57 off 68 deliveries as Pondicherry piled up 476 in the first innings.
Sagar Udeshi and Fabid cast web
In reply to Pondicherry’s big first innings score of 476, Manipur started well only to squander it as they slumped from 44 for 1. However, the first innings heroes Sagar Udeshi and Fabid Ahmed cast a strong web to cripple Manipur, who lost wickets at regular intervals. Sagar Udeshi returned with 5 for 42, while Fabid Ahmed returned with 3 for 17 and Sagar Trivedi taking 2 for 30, to bundle the opponent for 138 in their first innings.
Manipur goes clueless
Asked to follow-on with a first innings deficit of 338 runs, Manipur started their second innings absolutely with no clue against Pondicherry attack, led this time by A.C.Parthiban. After the remove of openers by Fabid and Sagar Udeshi, taking a wicket each, Parthiban ran through the opponent’s camp and returned with figures of 5 for 64, with Sagar Udeshi and Sagar Trivedi taking two wickets each, Manipur was bundled for 111 all out in their second innings to earn Pondicherry as resounding victory by an innings and 241 runs.
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