CUTTACK 09-Feb-2015 87
Odisha ended their Ranji Trophy campaign on a glorious note, pulling off a stunning two-wicket win over Saurashtra in the last Group-B match here at Barabati Stadium today. The win fetched Odisha six points and helped them retain their place in Group B, while Saurashtra were relegated to Group C.
It was a magnificent achievement by Odisha considering the fact that they won the match despite conceding a sizeable lead of 130 in the first innings. With this exciting win, their third of the season, Odisha finished fifth in the nine-team group with 20 points from eight matches, while Saurashtra ended at the bottom with 10 points.
Resuming their second innings at the overnight score of 128 for two and needing another 155 runs for victory, Odisha overcame intense pressure to romp home towards the end of second session of the fourth and last day. Odisha owed the victory to their pace bowlers Basant Mohanty, Alok Mangaraj, Deepak Behera and middle-order batsmen Anurag Sarangi and Govind Podder.
