BHUBANESWAR 18-Nov-2015
Odisha gained three points by virtue of taking a first-innings lead of 313 runs against host Haryana in their Group A Ranji match, which ended in a draw at Chaudhary Bansi Lal Cricket Stadium in Lahli today. With these three points, Odisha increased their tally to 12 from six matches and moved up from seventh to sixth position in the group table.
Electing to bat, Odisha compiled a mammoth total of 529 for six. In reply, Haryana were bundled out for 216. Following on after conceding the huge lead, Haryana made 250 for four in the second innings when the match was called off as a draw.
Dominating the match for first three days, Odisha players achieved three memorable successes. Leading from the front new captain Natraj Behera scored a career best unbeaten knock of 255. His 453-ball majestic knock was studded with 19 boundaries and four sixes. It was his eighth first-class century and second double century. He bettered the previous highest of 209, which he had made against Saurashtra at Barabati Stadium, Cuttack on November 7, 2011.
Recipient of M A Chidambaram Trophy as the best under-22 batsman of the country in the 2009-10 season, the 27-year-old Behera was struggling this season in Ranji Trophy, managing 214 runs in 10 innings. But with the towering knock at Lahli, he has returned to form in style. Behera was adjudged player of the match.
Behera was on course to break the record of most runs (300 not out) in a first-class innings for Odisha, achieved by former India Test opener Shiv Sundar Das against Jammu & Kashmir at Barabati Stadium, Cuttack in the 2006-07 season. But giving greater importance to the winning chances of the team than personal milestone, he declared the innings. He also played inspirational role in enabling rookie Ranjit notch his maiden first-class hundred and stumper Haladhar Das a career-reviving 93 (176b, 9x4, 3x6).
Behera played the lead role in a 282-run towering stand for the second wicket with Ranjit Singh and then adding 154 runs for the sixth-wicket partnership with Das, who missed out what would have been third century of his first-class career. Playing only his second first-class match, 20-year-old Ranjit made a 289-ball 112, which included eight fours and three sixes.
But despite dominating match for three days, Odisha frittered away what would have been a thumping win as they failed to bowl out the opposition twice in the four-day match. On the other hand Chaitanya Bishoi and Nitin Saini spoiled victory hope of Odisha, hitting unbeaten 86 and 64 respectively. Odisha will next meet Bengal at Kolkata and Haryana will face Rajasthan at Lalhi from November 23 to 26.
SCOREBOARD
ODISHA (1st innings): Girija Rout b M Sharma 10, Natraj Behera (not out) 255, Ranjit Singh c Tehlan b Patel 112, Govind Poddar c Rana b Yadav 28, Anurag Sarangi b Chahal 0, Pratik Das c Tehlan b Yadav 0, Haladhar Das b Patel 93, Suryakant Pradhan (not out) 2; Extras (b 11, lb 4, nb 13, w 1) 29
Total (6 wkts decl; 163 overs) 529
Fall of wickets: 1-17, 2-299, 3-361, 4-369, 5-372, 6-526
Bowling: Harshal Patel 28-5-94-1, Mohit Sharma 23-2-64-1, Ashish Hooda 25-2-68-0, Sachin Rana 3-0-16-0, Jayant Yadav 42-4-164-2, Yuzvendra Chahal 33-6-86-1, Chaitanya Bishnoi 9-1-22-0
HARYANA (1st innings): R Dewan lbw Pradhan 30, N Saini b Pradhan 51, C Bishnoi c H Das b Pradhan 0, R Sharma lbw Mohanty 16, S Rana lbw Mohanty 24, P Tehlan lbw Mohanty 21, J Yadav c Poddar b D Singh 46, H Patel lbw D Behera 13, Y Chahal c D Singh b Poddar 2, M Sharma (not out) 5, A Hooda lbw D Singh 0; Extras (b 2, lb 5, nb 1) 8
Total (All out; 85.5 overs) 216
Fall of wickets: 1-43 (V Dewan, 17.6 ov), 2-43 (K Bishnoi, 19.6 ov), 3-70 (P Sharma, 24.3 ov), 4-120 (R Rana, 44.6 ov), 5-144 (R Saini, 51.3 ov), 6-152 (Y Tehlan, 56.1 ov), 7-181 (V Patel, 68.5 ov), 8-211 (Chahal, 82.5 ov), 9-211 (J Yadav, 83.2 ov), 10-216 (H Hooda, 85.5 ov)
Bowling: Basant Mohanty 22-7-51-3, Suryakant Pradhan 23-7-53-3, Deepak Behera 18-3-53-1, Dhiraj Singh 14.5-2-22-2, Govinda Poddar 6-0-22-1
HARYANA (2nd innings): R Dewan c H Das b Pradhan 5, N Saini c H Das b D Singh 64, C Bishnoi (not out) 86, R Sharma c (sub) b D Sing 42, S Rana lbw Pradhan 27, P Tehlan (not out) 11; Extras (b 7, lb 6, nb 1, w 1) 15
Total (4 wkts; 103 overs) 250
Fall of wickets: 1-15 (Dewan, 5.2 ov), 2-101 (Sanini, 42.1 ov), 3-176, (Sharma, 72.2 ov), 4-220 (Rana, 91.1 ov)
Bowling: B Mohant 21-6-61-0, S Pradhan 21-5-56-2, D Behera 12-2-25-0, D Singh 31-11-56-2, G Poddar 16-4-30-0, Natraj Behera 2-0-9-0
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PHOTO: Odisha captain Natraj Behera
