16-Feb-1998
When Sachin Tendulkar-led Mumbai beat a depleted Orissa by an innings and 46 runs on the penultimate day of their four-day Ranji Trophy Super League Group-A match at Wankhede Stadium in Mumbai today, the result seemed predictable. A century each by Tendulkar (135) and Sanjay Manjrekar (126) powered Mumbai to their second innings victory in two -Ranji Trophy matches against Orissa.
But what surprised everybody was a half-century in each innings by Orissa batsman Rashmi Ranjan Parida. Against a formidable Mumbai bowling attack, featuring Paras Mhambrey, Abey Kuruvilla, Nilesh Kulkarni and Rajesh Pawar, 23-year-old Parida achieved his career-best success, hitting a 97-ball 54 (7x4) in the first innings and a 156-ball 71 (11x4) in the second. The application, maturity and courage displayed by Parida were proof enough that he was classy batsman.
Put into bat, Orissa lost wickets in regular intervals before being all out for 150. In reply, Mumbai declared at 493 for seven to take a first-innings lead of 343 runs. Orissa put up much improved performance in the second innings with Gautam Gopal (58), P Jayachandra (40) and Shiv Sundar Das (35) making notable contributions, besides the 71 by Parida.
However, all these contributions could not save Orissa from innings defeat as they were bowled out for 297. This was 65th overall defeat in 155 Ranji Trophy matches for Orissa and 32 by innings margin. Orissa played this match without regular captain Sanjay Raul and top bowler Debasis Mohanty, who were on National duty. In the absence of Raul, Shiv Sundar Das led Orissa for the first time.
A two-day-long train journey in second-class sleeper also made the Orissa players a tired lot when they arrived in Mumbai. And when they reached Wankhede for net practice, most of them seemed awestruck with the sight of Tendulkar, Manjrekar and Vinod Kambli doing practice at the other of the ground.
The nets session of the Orissa team would not have started if coach-cum-manager Lalitendu Bidyadhar Mohapatra had not made them aware of their job in hand. ``Guys, from tomorrow onwards, you will have four days to see Tendulkar & Co from hand-shaking distance. But for today, join the nets and do a bit of practice of your own,’’ he told them in lighter vein.
SCORECARD (Orissa Match No 155):
ORISSA (1st innings): *Shiv Sundar Das c Muzumdar b Mhambrey 1, BBCC Mohapatra c Manjrekar b Mhambrey 9, Pravanjan Mullick c Manjrekar b Mhambrey 17, Prasanta Mohapatra c Muzumdar b NM Kulkarni 11, Rashmi Ranjan Parida c Manjrekar b NM Kulkarni 54, P Jayachandra c Manjrekar b Mhambrey 5, Robin Morris c Pagnis b NM Kulkarni 5, +Gautam Gopal c SK Kulkarni b Mhambrey 16, Shahid Ali Khan lbw Mhambrey 0, Subash Mohanty not out 16, Ajay Barik c Muzumdar b NM Kulkarni 3; Extras (lb-5, nb-8) 13
Total (all out, 222 minutes, 50.1 overs) 150
Fall of wickets: 1-11, 2-30, 3-43, 4-73, 5-78, 6-83, 7-104, 8-104, 9-134, 10-150
Mumbai bowling: Kuruvilla 8-0-22-0, Mhambrey 16-3-45-6, Dahad 8-4-18-0, Tendulkar 2-1-4-0, NM Kulkarni 12.1-3-36-4, Pawar 4-0-20-0.
MUMBAI (1st innings): Sanjay Manjrekar c Gopal b Barik 126, +SK Kulkarni c Mullick b Morris 10, AA Muzumdar c & b Barik 2, *Sachin Tendulkar c Das b Mohanty 135, VG Kambli c Gopal b Morris 48, AA Pagnis not out 64, PL Mhambrey c Gopal b Khan 15, SB Dahad c Morris b Mohanty 59, A Kuruvilla DNB, NM Kulkarni DNB, RV Pawar DNB; Extras (b-15, lb-5, nb-11, w-3) 34
Total (7 wickets, declared, 108.2 overs) 493
Fall of wickets: 1-22, 2-28, 3-250, 4-337, 5-347, 6-377, 7-493
Orissa bowling: Morris 26-4-100-2, Barik 19-1-94-2, Khan 30-2-130-1, Jayachandra 5-1-27-0, Mohanty 28.2-0-122-2.
ORISSA (2nd innings): BBCC Mohapatra c NM Kulkarni b Kuruvilla 9, P Jayachandra c SK Kulkarni b Dahad 40, PM Mullick c Kuruvilla b Mhambrey 3, *SS Das c & b NM Kulkarni 35, RR Parida c & b NM Kulkarni 71, PR Mohapatra c Kambli b NM Kulkarni 26, RF Morris b NM Kulkarni 8, +G Gopal c SK Kulkarni b Kuruvilla 58, SA Khan c Kuruvilla b NM Kulkarni 0, SC Mohanty not out 11, A Barik b Dahad 0; Extras (b-14, lb-5, nb-17) 36
Total (all out, 377 minutes, 89 overs) 297
Fall of wickets: 1-20, 2-23, 3-99, 4-119, 5-175, 6-205, 7-234, 8-236, 9-292, 10-297
Mumbai bowling: Kuruvilla 15-1-69-2, Mhambrey 17-3-63-1, Dahad 9-2-31-2, NM Kulkarni 32-10-74-5, Pawar 16-3-41-0.
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PHOTO: Undated file photo of Orissa batsman Rashmi Ranjan Parida.
